Hardest of Hearts
by FollowTheSun22
Summary: Althea was born a twin to Sif, but both were very different from the other. While Sif favoured battle and war, Althea favoured magic and healing. But what happens when she is fated to meet with Loki, everyone's favourite mischief-causing prince? Loki/OC
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Everyone might be a little OOC for the first few chapters, but this is set very pre Thor, and when I say very I mean think of everyone around 16-18 in human terms, like teenagers. But eventually it will catch up to the movie Thor and Avengers and probably Thor 2 as well and then everyone will be their normal selves we know and love!

Anyways enjoy!

* * *

A young maiden named Althea lay beside her sister watching the clouds go by on a beautiful day in Asgard, like all days were. They lay on the softest patch of grass just outside their large home, which by coincidence was close to the palace.

Althea saw two clouds drifting by that had completely different shapes from one another, but were still clouds. That got her thinking. She and her sister were twins, fraternal, but sisters as different as night and day, as her sister favoured battle, Althea loved the art of healing and hoped to one day serve in the healing ward of the palace.

She knew her sister was more like their father, if not because he was a warrior but because they shared the same traits in personality. Althea on the other hand, while just as determined about things as they were, usually stayed passive in a lot of things and hated arguments or for people to be hurt or upset.

She thought maybe it was because she had seen something Sif had not, for Althea had watched their mother die. The two of them had waited as their mother gave birth to their sibling, and it seemed to be going on forever. Her sister had fallen asleep while Althea stayed awake and eventually ran into the healing room where her mother was, just in time to catch her gaze and watch the life leave her.

And on top of that, their sibling - a baby boy - had not survived as he had come five months too early. It was a terrible day for the entire family and occasionally Althea still had nightmares reliving the entire memory. But she wished such a horrible scene was not the cause of her being wary of battle and bloodshed, which she did not see as a bad thing; but nothing good could come from her mother's death or her brother's death, and so must have another cause.

"Sister, why are we so different from each other?" Althea asked turning her head to look over at her sister.

They were twins, but fraternal, although they did share golden locks and sapphire blue eyes and were similar in stature, but still different in many ways.

"Because sweet sister, no one is the same as another, even twins," She replied her eyes twinkling as she smiled.

"I see," Althea replied before staring back up at the clouds.

Her sister did the same and they continued to have a peaceful afternoon, and soon they both fell asleep; the golden strands of their shining hair spread around them on the grass.

* * *

Loki walked around the outskirts of the palace, trying to get away from Thor's boasting again. He could only listen to him talk for so long before he had to leave, in fear of using one of his spells to get him to shut up. Then he'd be in trouble with the All-Father, again.

This time Thor was going on and on about the newest maiden who had captured his attention, there was a new one every week. And they were all glad to return Thor's attention of them. Except this time it seemed the Lady Sif was playing hard to get, she seemed to be smarter than most women and did not so easily fall under Thor's spell. At least to the public it appeared that way, but Loki knew inside Sif was leaping for joy or whatever it is women do when they're happy, because Thor was finally paying attention to her.

Now, Loki couldn't deny Sif was a very beautiful woman, and he too had taken a shine to her at one point, but she was Thor crazed like all the others. And so he stepped back and let Thor have his fun, the usual way things worked in the royal household. Thor was the Golden Son, and he Loki, the Silvertongue.

It was only luck that he would come upon the lady Sif laying on the grass with whom he guessed was her sister watching the clouds. He was going to turn back and leave them be, but then an idea struck him. Before he could change his mind, he sent a small enchantment over to the two youths, casting them asleep.

He waited a moment to make sure they would not stir before walking over to Sif to look upon her.

Pulling his dagger from its sheath, he kneeled down and grasped some of her golden locks in his hand. He knew this was what Thor admired most, and what drew him to her, her golden locks, and indeed they did look spun from gold.

Before he could blink he had cut a large chunk off, and then another, and then another. Before he knew it he had cut all the hair from her head, and it now lay around her on the grass.

He smirked; let's see Thor look upon her now that his favourite aspect was gone. For Loki, it had been Sif's drive and determination that drew him to her but that was before she had rejected him, quite cruelly he might add. So he felt no remorse for taking away her prized possession.

A mumble and movement stilled his actions, causing him to look over and watch as her sister rolled and turned to face him, though her eyes remained closed. He noticed that she was beautiful, maybe more so than Sif herself. And the same golden locks ran from her head. He moved over towards her, grabbed a lock of her hair and prepared to sever it, but he stopped and looked away.

He had no quarrel with this girl, and something about her made him feel at peace and healed. Besides, he had gotten into enough trouble for today, and was it fun. He was a youth still, only around 400 or so and knew his father would punish him, if he were caught. But he'd think about that later, and it would probably be worth it to watch his scheme unfold.

So Loki stood back up and returned his dagger to its sheath, then left the meadow and returned to the cover of the trees and out of sight.

It seemed Loki had been forgetful in his time of mischief, because he hadn't realized Heimdall had watched the entire scene.

* * *

Althea woke to the sound of her sisters scream, immediately she leapt to her feet, as she had never heard Sif scream, except when they were children. As she set her eyes on her sobbing sister she couldn't believe what she was seeing and a startled gasp escaped her mouth.

"Don't look upon me sister, I'm hideous!" Sif said in her cries, before she got up and ran into the house they shared with their father.

Althea quickly followed, right on her sister's heels as she ran to her chambers and threw herself on her bed and sobbed into the blankets.

"Oh Sif," Althea muttered, climbing onto the bed and hugging her sister tightly, her heart aching seeing her twin in such pain.

"Your hair was not the only thing beautiful about you! Can't you see it's what's inside that matters, I know it's hard to understand, but it's true!" Althea said in an attempt to comfort her, but truly she had no idea what to say.

"You're wrong! I can never show my face again!" Sif cried, turning her bloodshot eyes to her sister.

"Think of it this way, now that it's shorter," Althea started, and indeed it was, she still had hair, but it was now to her shoulders and crudely cut, "Now that it's shorter," She started again, "It will be easier to battle with, you won't have to worry about it getting in the way," Althea told her, and although her words were true, they had no effect on her sister.

Knowing she couldn't think of anything else, Althea pulled her sister up and put her hands on both her cheeks, closing her eyes and concentrating… now how did that spell go again? She had read it in a book somewhere, and had only tried it on a wild horse, not that Sif was a horse.. But, she hadn't tried it on an Asgardian yet, but always a first time for everything. Reaching down within her, she found the warmth that resided in all Asgardians, it was just a matter of tapping into that power and harnessing it like she was doing now. The warmth spread up and out her arms, a golden light emitting from her fingertips and absorbing into Sif's cheeks, instantly calming her as the sobs subsided.

Pulling back, Althea blinked open her eyes fighting off the dizziness she felt from sending her energy into her sister to calm her down, "Better?" She asked.

"Yes," Sif replied nodding her head, "I may be calm now, dear sister, but that doesn't mean I will be showing my face again. What's the point in being a woman warrior, and one of the best, if I look like a man?"

"You look the farthest thing from a man!" Althea replied looking at her sister, even if her hair was shorter now and uneven, she still looked like a beautiful woman.

"You lie! You're family so you have to say that!" Sif yelled back getting upset again.

"Fine! Don't believe me? Then wait here and don't move!" Althea yelled right back before jumping off the bed and running over to a drawer, pulling out a pair of shears then returning to the bed.

Horrified, Sif retreated away from her sister, "What are you doing! You'll only make it worse!" She yelled backing away, thinking they were for her.

"They aren't for you," Althea replied calmly, "They're for me, I will cut my hair off just like yours so you will see even without it we can be beautiful," She said pulling a long lock forward, preparing to cut. Though she was a little hesitant, like Sif she did treasure her hair but she loved her sister more.

Just as she was about to make the first cut, the shears were pulled from her hands, "No!" Sif yelled at her, "Don't you dare! I shall not have you be shamed like myself, it will only make the pain worse," Sif explained her reasoning, though it wasn't a very good one.

Althea sighed, she really had no idea what to do then, so she decided to change the topic, "Well, what do you suppose happened?"

"I… I don't know," Sif replied before laying back down on her bed and pulling the blankets over her, "Please just leave me, sister, I wish to be alone…"

Althea didn't want to leave her sister's side, but she did as asked and left the room, but not before hugging her sister then walking away, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

For three days and three nights, Sif had not left her chambers; Althea brought her food and water, and even crafted a beautiful veil for her to wear if she were to go out into the public. It had backfired on her unfortunately, as Sif never took it off, even when she slept. Their father was away on business for the All-Father, and wouldn't be returning for another week, so they had been alone. Sif had also made Althea cast the servants out of their house, which she did, promising they could return eventually, she wasn't that heartless to leave them unemployed forever.

Althea was trying to read a book in the sitting room, as she had been kicked out of Sif's chambers again, when she heard pounding on the door, startling her. Standing up, she quickly walked over to the door, pulling the heavy wood open, which was usually done by two of their servants, but she managed.  
Quickly she bowed her head for who was at the door, "Thor, what brings you here?" She asked him pleasantly.

"Ah! Lady Althea! How have you fared?" Thor asked her in his loud and booming voice, she was sure Sif could hear in her chambers.

"I am well, and yourself?" She asked him giving him a small smile, hating to lie.

"I am well just as you are, my friend! However, I have come here in search of the Lady Sif, it seems no one has seen her in three days and nights, is she here?" He asked her hopefully.

"Uh… yes, she is, but she's… she's taken ill and is resting in bed," Althea quickly lied, to protect her sister.

"I see, well wish her well for me and tell her I came by. I shall return tomorrow to see if she feels any better!" Thor said taking her hand, kissing the back of it, and then leaving.

Althea watched him go before quickly closing the door and bolting it. She knew it would be a problem, but what was she going to say? He was the prince, and she had already lied to him enough! Well, partly, Sif was truly not feeling well.

Thor came again the next day, and Althea answered the door, telling him Sif was still ill and coming up with excuses as to why she was not with the healers.

He came again, and then again, and then again.

Until one day, as she opened the door, Thor came charging past her and into their home, "Sif! Sif, come out! Why do you hide from me?" He yelled into the house.

Althea thought his attempts would be futile but the next thing she heard was whimpering from the top of the stairs, "Stay where you are Thor, do not look upon me! I am ashamed for you to see me. I must leave Asgard, and go to Svartheim to live with the dwarves, as I am as ugly as they are now!" Sif called down hiding behind a column.

Althea almost snorted, now that was an exaggeration, nothing could be as ugly as the dwarves from Svartheim, especially her beautiful sister.

"Sif, my friend, what has happened to change you so?" Thor asked walking closer to the stairs, but taking heed to Sif's request and not looking at her.

"I have lost all the hair from my head; the golden locks you so admired, and I so treasured," Sif said to him walking from outside of the pillar, into their view before gaining courage and pulling off the veil from her head, revealing her very short hair.

"Who was it that did this to you, Sif? I am Thor, prince of Asgard, and the mightiest of all Asgardians! They shall pay for taking your golden tresses!" Thor said, running up the stairs to join her.

"I know not who did this! Or I would tell you!" Sif replied looking away from his gaze in shame.

"Come with me!" Thor said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along behind him.

As they passed Althea, Sif grabbed her hand pulling her after them and to the Council House where all the Gods and Goddesses were, and all could see the rage in Thor's eyes, and knew the grievance against the Lady Sif was grave indeed.

Thor told them of the cutting of her beautiful hair, and as everyone looked upon Sif, trying to see behind her veil, Althea came beside her and held her as they all stared at her.

Soon whispers were going around the hall, "It was Loki," Was what they said, "Only he could do a deed so shameful."

"Loki!" Thor yelled in anger, "I'll kill him!"

"Silence!" The All-Father called out, silencing the entire hall, "No dweller of Asgard may kill another! I will summon him here before us," He said to Thor, leaving no room for argument, "It is up to you to make him bring Sif back her hair."

The All-Father called Loki before him, and soon Loki was walking into the chambers calmly as Thor yelled the accusations against him.

"Where is your proof that I am the culprit?" Loki replied after Thor was finished talking, smirking.

"Do not lie, brother!" Thor yelled in anger.

"Loki," The All-Father called out to him, "You have done Sif a great wrong this day, and you must fix what you destroyed."

"I cannot grow hair, and if I did, it would not be on her head," Loki replied calmly glancing over at Sif as she trembled in her sister's arms.

"I have proof," A voice called entering the hall.

All eyes turned to the entrance, where they watched the dark-skinned God Heimdall enter with golden eyes, which saw and heard everything.

"I saw Loki take his dagger and cut the Lady Sif's golden hair from her head, and even he cannot oppose my eyes," Heimdall said to the assembled council.

"There's our proof!" Thor yelled out taking steps towards Loki, "You will fix the mischief you have spun!"

"Do as he says," The All-Father commanded of Loki, and he knew he had no choice.

"Very well," Loki said leaving the council to fix his scheme, a rare thing to behold, because Loki never, if ever, undid his deeds.

* * *

Loki thought of how he could restore to Sif the beauty of her hair, and while he did know there was no such enchantment, and he honestly didn't want to spend his time learning it if there was, and so decided to see the dwarves, the master's of forging.

He traveled to Svartheim, where the dwarves lived and were most friendly to him while working in their forges. He praised their work and promised them things only those in Asgrad could give them, which they longed to possess. He talked to them until they believed they would possess Asgard and all that was in it, they didn't call him The Silvertongue for nothing.

Eventually, after he had done all the praising and "admiring" he could stand he asked them, "Have you got a bar of fine gold that you can hammer into threads? Threads so fine that they will be like the hair of the Lady Sif? Only the Dwarves could make a thing so wonderful," Loki praised again, for a last time looking around the room they were in, "There is a bar of gold," he said seeing just that, "Hammer it into fine threads, and the Gods and Goddesses themselves will be eternally jealous of your work."

Flattered by Loki's words, the dwarves took the bar of gold and flung it into the fire. Then took it out and put it upon their anvils. They worked on the bar with tiny hammers until they beat it into threads that were as fine as the hair of an Asgardian's head. They worked on the hair like threads, over and over, until they were as fine as the hairs on the Lady Sif's head, if not finer. The threads were as bright as the golden sun, and when Loki picked up the finished cap it flowed from his hand so fine and so light, he would have thought it was truly real hair, if he hadn't seen it being crafted.

He thanked the dwarves, and praised their work before leaving, and still the dwarves did not know why they had forged him such fine work, and as he left, they realized they had received nothing in return. And so in spite they altered their work, such was there magic.

* * *

Loki returned to Asgard a day after he had left and made his way to the Lady Sif's home, where he knocked still holding the work of the dwarves in his hand.

Who opened the door was not Sif, nor Thor or any other that he knew, but it was Sif's sister, Althea he believed her name to be, though they had never formally met.

The look she gave him was completely passive, he expected her to be like Sif, they were twins after all, and be quick to anger and have a fire in her eyes. While she had no fire, he did not think she was as weak as she seemed; he felt something strong and powerful inside of her, like that of his own magic.

"Good day, Lady… Althea? Is it?" He asked giving her a cheerful Loki smile.

"Yes, that is my name, I see you are here to correct your mistake am I right my prince?" Althea asked glancing at the shimmering gold in Loki's hands.

While Loki thought what he did was hardly a mistake, and while he did get caught, it was funny to see the rage on Thor's face.

"Indeed I am, would you be so kind as to show me where the Lady Sif is?" He asked and she gestured for him to come inside.

Althea closed the door behind the prince, then led him up the stairs to Sif's chambers where she sat on a stool staring out the window.

"Remove the veil, Lady Sif," Loki called out to her stepping through the doorway.

Sif turned her angry eyes on the prince, but remained silent and removed the veil, revealing her lack of hair.

Loki walked forwards and set the golden threads upon her head, the strands took root the moment they were placed on Sif's head, and then began to grow out. Beautiful, fine, golden hair fell over her shoulders and as Sif turned to admire her hair once again in the mirror she had avoided for the past few days and she smiled, for the first time in a long time, and joy shone in her eyes. But then the hair began to turn black, like it was made from the shadows themselves, and indeed they were.

Loki had been unable, or unwilling, to pay the dwarves for creating the golden hair. So they decided that for the price of nothing, they would make strands of nothing. The dwarves instead tricked Loki into thinking they were making golden tresses out of gold, but instead made black tresses from the blackness of the night, and the moment they were placed on Sif's head, the illusion had been broken.

Both women were too shocked to speak so Loki spoke instead, "I personally think it looks better this way," But it seems Loki should have kept his mouth shut for once as Sif had grabbed her sword and was attacking him angrily.

Althea was quick to step in front of her sister, pushing her away and with some careful and familiar maneuvering, she was able to get the sword away from her sister, "I agree with him Sif! You look more intimidating this way! Like a beautiful storm coming after an enemy! It suits you better than your golden hair!"

And as Althea touched Sif's arms, Loki did not miss the golden light flowing from her hands and into Sif, who instantly calmed down.

She removed her arms, and set Sif back on the chair facing her towards the mirror so she could admire the hair, which she immediately started to do.

Althea stepped back and turned to the prince, "I'll walk you out," She said to him with a small smile.

As Althea walked Loki to the door she turned to him, "Thank you for giving my sister back her hair, even if it isn't gold," She said smiling at him in gratitude.

This confused Loki, he expected Althea to be angry for what he did to her sister, and to treat him the way everyone else did, like an outcast, but she didn't, "You are not angry?" He couldn't resist asking her.

"I rarely get angry, Sif and I differ in that way, and others…" She trailed off, "I do think it was wrong of you, but Sif has a tendency to overreact about things, and while I hate to see her so upset, it is funny to see her so angry over her hair," She said with a little laugh at the end, "And I also think this was a crime of opportunity, not planned," She said with a smirk.

"Oh, and what makes you think that?" Loki asked curious.

Silently, Althea reached up to her hair, and pulled out a small chunk from the bottom, which was severed, just like Sif's had been. Then Loki realized he hadn't changed his mind about cutting her hair as quick as he thought.

Loki sighed, getting ready to go back to the dwarves, this time with money to pay for more golden strands that would stay gold, when she laughed, "Don't look so put out, my prince, I think it gives it character, I like it this way now, and it's hardly visible," Althea said smiling.

"Very well, but there will be no changing your mind, I doubt the dwarves would be glad to see me quite so soon," Loki said before turning away from her to make his way back to the palace.

"What? No apology?" Althea called after him.

"I don't apologize!" Loki called back, "But, I can give you some magic lessons!"

Althea gasped, her eyes widening, wondering how he knew, "You.. but how?" She asked him.

"I am a magic user myself as I'm sure you know, and therefore can sense when others have magic like myself, and you Lady Althea have strong magic. Meet me in the grand library tomorrow at noon. I will tell the guard to allow you entry," Loki said and then disappeared from her sight in the blink of an eye.

Althea was nervous about magic, the most she had learned was from a small book she had found in the back of a bookstore, and it had hardly amounted to anything except a few simple tricks. She wasn't sure if she wanted to learn more, but decided she would not pass up the chance to do so. While Sif had her growing battle skills, Althea decided she would have her magic skills.

* * *

That's the end of chapter 1! Like I said at the begging everyone was a bit OOC and they will not be like that forever, especially Sif, but this chapter takes place like 2000 Asgardian years before Thor where we meet the Sif I am sure would never cry and get so upset over her hair.

And I incorporated some mythology into this first chapter, with the tale of Loki cutting Sif's hair and why she has black hair instead of blonde!

I also put this in the Avengers section instead of Thor because this will eventually go into the Avengers storyline and I would like to keep it all one story.

Anyways thanks for reading, and if you could drop a review letting me know what you think I would greatly appreciate it! Not that you have too.. But it would be nice! :)


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks everyone for reading, favouriting and reviewing! I appreciate it so much! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers and I do not claim to! I only own my OC Althea! :) _

* * *

Althea spent the night with Sif, who talked of her hair all night long and said she did like it better than her golden locks, and that Althea shouldn't have gotten so worked up about it. Yes, like she was the one hold up in her room for three days… Sometimes sisters could be a pain, but she loved Sif and she knew one day she would grow out of this silly phase where she concentrated only her beauty; Althea knew one day Sif would focus on her battle skills. She claimed that her hair made her look less innocent like Althea did. Thanks for the compliment Sif…

Now, she was spending her day tracking down all their previous servants to rehire them before their father returned home. But so far, she had only tracked down half, and some of them had gotten new jobs. Most weren't overly happy to return to her home for employment, probably worried they'd be fired again the next time her sister or she (like that would happen) had a breakdown.

She eventually had to give up, and set about hiring new people. She doubted her father would really notice when he came home if the servants were different or not. As she was walking through the citadel, the clock chimed twelve times and she realized she was late. She was supposed to meet the prince in the library at noon and it was noon now and she wasn't even close to it! Picking up her skirts she took off running up the steps that led to the castle, weaving through lords and ladies, calling out apologies behind her.

She knew this was not how a lady should behave, but technically she hadn't come of age yet. Well for another year, which was basically nothing, but she and Sif were only 399, not 400, when they would officially be called true ladies. Then they had another 600 years before they perfected their skills in their chosen art, and depending on their status, the All-Father may give them titles, like The Goddess of Beauty, or love or as Sif hoped to become, The Goddess of War. But not everyone got to become a God or Goddess. It was only the ones who truly excelled at certain things that were lucky to receive that title at the age of 1000. Unless they were of the royal family like their two princes, and the Queen, they automatically received titles from Odin, the All-Father and Asgard's King.

Finally, she reached the library doors and stopped to catch her breath and smooth down her hair and dress so she didn't look like she had just run through the palace. Nodding, she decided she was going to look as good as it would get and moved to open the door when a hand was set on her shoulder.

"Halt," Said the guard who was holding her back from entering as she turned to look at him, "Only those with permission may enter," He said.

"I believe I have permission, I am the lady Althea?" She said, accidentally phrasing it like a question, as if she wasn't sure that was her name.

The guard who towered over her small frame either chose to ignore her slip, or was completely oblivious to it, but she guessed it was the former as he opened the door for her and then let her pass.

She smiled at him in thanks and walked through before calling over her shoulder, "Thank you!" And getting no reply as the door closed behind her…

Sighing, she turned to look around the library and gasped. It was almost as big as the grand hall and was filled to the brink with beautiful books so fine that she was afraid to even touch them. The shelves went almost to the ceiling, and were equipped with rolling ladders attached to each. She slowed her walk to marvel at them as she passed. Besides, she didn't know where the prince was anyways, he'd only said to meet him in the grand library, but not where inside of it.

She had never been in the library before, only the public one, which looked like a shack, compared to this. Well not really, the public one was quite fine indeed, but in comparison to what she was now lucky enough to be walking through… Only the Lords and Ladies of the highest standings were allowed in here. She knew her father probably had permission but that did not mean he could bring his children in with him. She felt honoured already that the prince had asked her to meet him here.

She was so enamored with her surroundings that she jumped as a throat was cleared behind her, which had her spinning around with a hand to her chest to calm her pounding heart.

She expected the prince to be behind her, but instead it was an older man who looked positively annoyed by her, "May I help you miss?" He asked in a bored tone, probably not appreciative to have a young girl like her to muck up his fine work of organizing the library.

As if she would! She was only thinking a moment ago that she could hardly even make herself touch them. He seemed to be the head librarian; underneath his annoyed exterior he looked quite wise and seemed to be filled with such knowledge that she was envious of him. She hoped maybe one day she would have as much knowledge as he did, but most likely of different things.

"Yes, I am looking for Prince Loki. I was told to meet him here," She informed the man pleasantly as she gestured around the library.

He 'hmphed' then pointed in the direction she was walking, "Head down to the end of the library then turn left, he should be around there."

She watched as the older man turned and left before following his directions, admiring the books as she continued on, until she met a wall and turned left where she found a series of tables, all empty, except for one where the dark-haired prince sat alone reading a book. She wasn't sure what to do, he looked to be concentrating on the reading and she didn't wish to bother him. Besides, she could learn magic another way, and she didn't really have the right to learn in such an exquisite place.

But it seemed her choice was taken from her as the prince decided for her, "You're late," He said without looking up from his book, turning the page.

"I apologize, My Lord. I seemed to have gotten lost. The library was much larger than I anticipated…" She trailed off; he probably didn't want to hear her excuses.

"Well, you've found your way now, please sit," He said gesturing to the chair across from him.

* * *

Loki knew she was there; she'd been standing there for over two minutes shuffling on her feet. He wasn't sure how he wasn't going to notice her standing there; she made enough noise for him to hear across the library. If he was going to teach her magic, first he'd have to teach her to be quiet when she wanted to be concealed, like she obviously did now. He hadn't even looked up from his book. He'd read it twice now, and wasn't sure why he bothered with a third but it was there so he decided to do it again.

It got his mind off the scolding his mother, Frigga and Queen of Asgard, had given him last night after he returned from restoring Sif's hair. He didn't see what the big deal was, it's not like her hair wouldn't have grown back over the years. Odin had not even mentioned anything, though he hadn't seen much of him anyways. And Thor was giving him the cold shoulder, now that he could live with. Although he knew it wouldn't last long. He did love to boast to Loki about his latest triumph. Which was why he chose to train separately from Thor and his friends now, who usually laughed at his expense so much he had no time to really train.

"You're late," Loki said making the decision for her, the shuffling of her feet was starting to annoy him as he turned the page of his book.

"I apologize, My Lord. I seemed to have gotten lost. The library was much larger than I anticipated…" She trailed off, and he was slightly glad, not interested in the excuses she was giving him. It mattered not now, she was here and had found him. Not that he made it easy or gave her directions like he could have but that wasn't his job. If she wanted to learn, she would come and if not, she wouldn't show, it was all the same to him.

"Well, you've found your way now, please sit," He said gesturing to the chair across the table from him.

He could hear the light swishing of the fabric of her dress as she quickly walked over and sat down, neatly folding her hands together on the table.

Sighing, he closed his book and tossed it across the table, none too gently either, but these books could handle a tumble or two. And from the horrified look on her face she didn't seem to realize this, but she said nothing to him, he was the prince after all. Though most of the time he just felt like the spare. He was not an idiot, he knew it was Thor who would be king, he was the eldest and obviously Thor knew it too. It seemed all that potential power went straight to his head, and Loki did wonder if he would be like Thor if he were the first-born. But he wasn't so he would never know. But he highly doubted it; he was the smarter of the two.

"You should read this book," He said handing her the book he'd taken from the shelf especially for her.

* * *

As he handed Althea the book over the table, she gently took it from his hands and set it down on the table reading the title, "Magics for beginners"

She opened up the first page, which was an introduction, but before she read that, she opened to the last page and read the number '809' and knew she would never get through this book! It was so long and thick and intimidating, but she gave no indication of this to the prince. He said to read it so she would.

Just as Althea was about to return to the introduction page she looked over at the prince and smiled, "Thank you," She told him and he looked up at her, in surprise? She smiled again before looking away and starting to read the book.

_"All Asgardian's have the potential for magic. It is the tapping into this power that resides within them that determines if they will be a user. There is a prime time for learning magic, and that is before they come of age and officially become an adult; before their body reaches its final stages and when it will cease growing. This way, the body and the user can become accustomed to the magic within thyself…"_ She continued reading as it went on about the rules of magic and so on before she finally managed to get to chapter one, which she happily started reading.

Althea expected the book to be a dry and boring read, but found herself captivated by its words and absorbed all the information that she could into her brain. Althea knew magic and sorcery was not for everyone, but it was definitely something for her; that she was sure of.

By the time Althea finally closed the book after finishing, it was already night and the sun had set hours ago. She looked out the window to see the sky was dark and filled with the stars that she loved to look at before she realized Sif was probably worried sick!

"I'm sorry my Lord! Thank you for lending me this book! It was a wonderful read! But I must go, my sister is probably worried for me," She said looking over at the prince apologetically.

He nodded, "Yes, I'm sure Thor is looking for me as well, goodnight Lady Althea," He said closing his book.

Althea bowed her head and curtsied, then made to turn away, before she stopped herself, "My Lord, I was wondering... Do you think we could continue this tomorrow?" She asked him shyly.

He turned and looked over at her before nodding, "I would like that," He replied, "Be here tomorrow, same time," He instructed.

"I will," She said smiling before she turned and left him sitting at the table alone once again…

* * *

_On my profile I put a link to the dress I see Althea wearing in this chapter, as well as the first one if you wanted to check that out!_

_Also, I know there isn't much dialogue in this chapter but I just didn't think Loki would be very talkative straight away, and if I did make him like that I thought he might be a little OOC._


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea!_

* * *

For an entire week, Althea spent her days in the library with the prince, and he was still quiet but did speak more to her after each day. He helped her study more thoroughly the book he'd asked her to read, as well as adding things he had discovered all on his own. That, she was most grateful for, a more personalized teaching worked better, and taught her more than a book ever could. She was thankful her father had hired private tutor's for Sif and herself, or else she doubted she would have even finished her schooling.

But Althea realized she could have been able to meet the prince much earlier in her life when she watched Sif train with Thor and some others. However, Loki had never been there to train with them. The realization saddened her because then they could have met much earlier and she wouldn't have felt so... alone. That was, after all, how she became friends with Thor, and called him by his name, how could she not after those few years spending days around him. But still, Thor had hardly anything in common with her like he did Sif. And magic was looked down upon by most Asgardians as something evil and malicious. The only ones who were really tolerated and accepted were the healers, but they only used their magic strictly for healing purposes. And it took more than one of them to use it on a patient as it was not very strong alone, which somehow made it acceptable.

How everyone came to look down on those with magic and be wary of them, she didn't know. And she had never been taught the answer by her tutors. She thought the prince might know, but was too shy to ask, and didn't want to seem stupid. She was also curious as to why he never trained with his brother, but knew she had no right to ask. They weren't friends after all, and the thought saddened her.

But now Althea sat across from Loki in the grass of the palace gardens alone, as it didn't seem many people came to them.

"Picture it in your mind," Loki instructed her, then after waiting a few moments spoke again, "Do you have it?" He asked quietly.

"Yes," Althea replied in a whisper, not chancing speaking louder in fear she'd break her concentration.

"Good," Loki replied nodding, "Now, remember how I taught you, feel the magic within you, draw on it and then imagine that bird on the grass in front of us."

Althea took a deep breath and did as he instructed, imagining a beautiful white bird in the grass in front of her, but a part of her doubted she would be able to do this. They'd tried all day yesterday, and nothing came of it, so why would today be any different?

"Do not doubt yourself," The prince's voice soothed her, "If you don't believe you can do it, then you can't."

She slowly nodded, she could do this, he was right, just like she did whenever she used her magic to calm Sif down. She imagined herself searching through her mind, her soul, her very essence, and found a bright golden light floating there. Gently, she reached out a metaphorical hand and felt it flow into her, and then the image of a dove that was inside her mind.

She was afraid to open her eyes to see her failure, but a soft _'chirp'_ had her opening her eyes anyways.

She couldn't help but smile, as the exact dove she was picturing in her mind was standing on the grass looking at her. Reaching out to touch it, Althea was shocked when her hand went right through, shimmering gold until returning to normal as she quickly pulled her hand away.

"You can't touch it, that's the only downside," The prince's voice informed her, "It's not really there you see, it's just an illusion."

"I understand," Althea told him while staring at the bird, she'd really done it. She had actually created that creature in front of her after so many failed attempts.

Without even thinking she threw her arms around the prince, "Oh thank you Loki! Thank you for teaching me!" She said hugging him tightly.

"You called me Loki," Was his only reply.

Quickly, Althea let go of him and returned her arms to herself, "I apologize, My Lord! I didn't mean to! It was just a slip up, honest!" She said scrambling for an explanation.

"...It's...alright," He replied as Althea looked away, "You've just never called me by my name before, it's always, My Prince, or My Lord," He said with some confusion in his voice, "Why call me by my name now?" He asked her questioningly.

Althea turned to look over at him, she didn't really think twice about it when she called him by his name, "Well, I sort of see you as my...my friend... And I call all my friends by their first name!" She explained. Well, if she had many friends, the only friends she really had was Sif and Thor, and then Sif's friends were more acquaintances.

Althea looked over at Loki, seeing him watching her with a perplexed emotion on his face, so she continued, "I mean, we don't have to be friends, unless you want to be that is, so do you?" She asked him hopefully, she really did want to be Loki's friend, and wanted him to be her friend.

"Do I what?" He asked furrowing his brow in confusion.

Althea laughed slightly, "Do you want to be friends?" She asked him.

Loki didn't think he'd ever really had a friend before. Thor didn't count, he was his brother and really wasn't much of a friend. Loki didn't actually know what a friend was. But he did want one, he was.. Lonely. He was different, and everyone knew it so they kept their distance. They were only polite to him because he was the prince and son of the King and Queen. Not that he would ever let anyone know it hurt him. That would mean they won, and he couldn't have that.

Althea seemed different though, and didn't judge him because he had magic like so many others did. And he also realized that it was probably because she had magic as well. But something told him that she would treat him the same as everyone else wether she had magic or not.

"I..I...would like that," Loki replied, stuttering at the beginning. He didn't stutter! Ever! And to think he was stuttering now of all times, is that what happened around friends? They caused you to stutter? Well if that was the case he wasn't sure he wanted one.

Althea smiled and held out her hand, "Friends?" She asked, her blue eyes shining with such joy that he couldn't refuse her.

Slowly Loki took her hand in his and shook it, "Friends," he agreed, smiling slightly, hesitantly, back at her.

"Wonderful!" Althea shouted hugging him again.

He didn't really understand her need to hug him, but he wasn't saying he didn't like it either.

_'Chirp'_

The noise distracted them, and they both turned to see the dove was still in the grass watching them, looking very real.

"Remarkable," Loki whispered staring at the creature.

"What is?" Althea asked turning away from the bird to look over at him.

"Well, it's just... You've been distracted and managed to keep the illusion conjured, that's very advanced," Loki explained, stamping out the jealousy he felt.

It had taken him a few tries to get his illusions to stay where they were even when he was distracted, and she had gotten it on the first try.

"Beginner's luck?" Althea offered unhelpfully.

Loki stated at the bird for a moment before answering, "I suppose..."

"Well! That's enough magic for one day! I would like to explore this garden," Althea said standing up and then pulling Loki up with her.

He stayed quiet as he followed her away from the dove, looking at it standing there as she walked away, but then a tug on his arm had him looking back at her smiling face, "Race you to the pond!" She shouted before taking off in a run.

"That's cheating!" Loki yelled following after her, Althea only laughing in reply.

As the two youths ran from the dove, neither saw it pluck a seed from the ground and eat it, then take off into the air, very much alive.

* * *

Later that day, Loki was having a conversation with Althea about how she missed her father. And a part of him could relate to her, he hardly ever saw Odin much, but knew he was very busy as the King. And her situation was different, she didn't have a clue if her father was alive or not.

"I'm just worried for him, there has been no word from any of the men in his party, and he was supposed to be home yesterday, but they never came," Althea explained looking away sadly, "I know he's a great warrior, but the ones he fights against now, they could be better..." She trailed off sadly.

Loki was about the reply, he didn't like seeing her upset, and wanted to comfort her somehow, when they were interrupted by some ladies walking through the garden and admiring the flowers.

He glared over at them, why did they have to come here, to these gardens, on this day? No one ever came here! That was why he had chosen the place for them to practice magic! They wouldn't need to look over their shoulder in fear of being discovered. But these women had ruined the illusion of peace they'd only just had, shattering it to pieces. He could tell his anger was overtaking him but he didn't care and let it, imagining snakes coming from under the brush and straight towards them hissing and brandishing fangs.

It didn't take long for them to hear the screams.

Althea started to run towards them, probably thinking they were in danger, when Loki put a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Snake!" A shrill female voice screamed, followed by others as they retreated, until all was silent and peaceful once again.

"How did you know they were not in trouble?" Althea asked looking over at his smirking face.

"Because I was the one who startled them with an illusion," Loki explained happily.

"I see.." Althea trailed off, apparently not knowing what to say.

Loki wished he wouldn't have done that now, this was the reason no one wanted to be his friend. And he wouldn't be surprised if Althea wouldn't want to be his friend now, and that would also make him mad. He had been kind enough to teach her magic and she just leave? How dare she - his dark thoughts were interrupted by her laughter. He looked over at her in confusion but waited until she spoke.

"Oh you should have told me! I would have wanted to see their faces!" Althea explained, laughter dying down, "I doubt they'll be back anytime soon," She told him smirking.

"Yes, I doubt it as well," Loki agreed with her.

They continued walking, and the topic of her father was forgotten.

* * *

_I am sorry that the chapter's aren't very long! I usually just end them in the place that seems like the right time. I don't set a number of words because then I find the chapter isn't very good, I would kind of live by the 'chapter ends when it ends' philosophy if there was such a thing._


	4. Chapter 4

___Thank you all for favouriting/following/reviewing! :)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea :)_

* * *

Inside Althea's chambers she tossed and turned on her bed, the room completely dark besides the fire that was burning out into embers in the pit.

* * *

_A much younger Althea, around the age of 80, along with her sister Sif, lay on either side of their father as he read to them before sleep._

_"And so the flower grew again-" Their father read aloud, but was interrupted by Sif._

_"Father, this is boring! Please tell us a more interesting story!" Sif pleaded with him gripping his arm._

_"Yes father, I agree with Sif, this story about the flower that never died is very boring!" Althea agreed nodding her small head up and down._

_Fenrir sighed before closing the book and looking down at them, "Very well, what story would you like to hear?" He asked them._

_"Oh! Could you please tell us of the war in Jotunheim?" Sif asked looking up at him._

_"Again? You've both heard that story over a hundred times now!" Fenrir replied looking down at them, but being attacked on both sides with pouted lips and pleading eyes._

_He sighed, "Very well," And started the story._

_"Once, many, many years ago, when I was much younger, before I had even met your departed mother, I went to Midgard alongside the All-Father. You see, the two of us had trained together in our younger years and became good friends, and still are to this very day, though we don't see each other as much as we once did. Mankind had accepted that they were not alone, they believed our world to be home to their Gods. But from the realm of cold and darkness, the frost giants came to Midgard, destroying all that was in their path; destroying it with the casket._

_However, the All-Father lead the Asgairdan armies to Midgard to put a stop to the frost giant's destruction. A fierce battle was fought and we chased the frost giants back to their home in Jotunheim. Lives were lost, on both sides, but in the end, their king fell before the All-Father and I myself had grabbed the casket from its place and brought it back to Asgard where it was placed in the weapons vault, and still stands there today. An uneasy peace was made, but the war ended and the evil frost giants of Jotunheim learned never to attack Midgard, as it was indeed protected," Fenrir finished his story, and saw that his daughter's faces looked up at him in awe, eyes wide and staring at him like he was the All-Father himself, just like every other time when he finished the story._

_"Alright, that's enough for tonight, you must sleep now. I will see you in the morning before your lessons!" He said standing up from the chair they were all on, first tucking Sif in her bed, and then Althea._

_Just as he was about to turn away from her, she tugged on his arms, "Father? What happens if the frost giants come to Asgard?" She asked him worriedly._

_"They won't," he replied with conviction, but he could tell she didn't seem convinced, "But if they did, have no fear, they would be defeated, and the gatekeeper Heimdall would see them before they even came close to entering," He explained before standing up, blowing out the candle and then leaving their shared chambers and the two girls alone._

_Althea rolled onto her side to sleep, but before she could, her sister spoke, "Don't worry sister, if the frost giants ever did come I would protect you. I plan on being the fiercest female warrior that ever lived," Sif whispered her dream over to her, "Those frost giants wouldn't know what had destroyed them until it was too late."_

_"Well," Althea replied sleepily, "You aren't a warrior yet Sif, but once you are, I will be in the healing halls ready to patch you up every time you're injured."_

_"I knew there was a reason I had a twin," Sif replied before giggling as Althea threw one of her pillows across the room and onto Sif's bed._

_"Goodnight Sif," Althea said about to fall asleep._

_"Goodnight, Althea. Pleasant dreams," Sif replied before the two young girls fell asleep, dreaming of fighting in fierce battles, and healing the wounded._

* * *

Althea woke with a jolt to the sound of hundreds of galloping horses entering the city. She rubbed her eyes to get rid of the fogginess. She'd had a dream that was really a memory of her father and Sif when they were much younger. She didn't realize until then how much she truly missed her father.

Throwing the blankets back, she set her feet on the bedroom floor, ignoring the cold that shot through her and quickly stood up before opening the doors to her wardrobe and grasping a random dress. She quickly put it on over her night shift, slipped on a pair of shoes, then ran over to the door, throwing it open and almost running into Sif.

"Father's party has returned!" They both said to the other, before nodding and taking off through the halls of their home, running down the steps to the doorway and out into the street. They continued to run into the citadel where hundreds of men were dismounting their horses, helping the injured and taking them to the healing halls, or reuniting with other family members who had come to see the returning soldiers.

"Do you see him?" Althea asked Sif as they looked around for their father in the citadel, illuminated by the lanterns all around them.

"No," Sif replied as they continued looking.

Althea turned around in a circle, before seeing a familiar chestnut mare, and their father atop her, "Over there!" Althea called grabbing Sif's hand and taking off.

"Father!" They both shouted before running over to him, then capturing him in a hug as he dismounted.

He grunted with the force of their hug, but wrapped his arms around them in return, "My girls! I have missed you both very much," He told them pulling back slightly to look upon their smiling faces.

"We missed you as well father! We were so worried for you!" Sif told him, "You have missed so much!"

Althea felt something wet soak through her dress and onto her stomach. She brought her fingers forward and touched it before pulling it back and looking at the wetness with the light from the lanterns surrounding them, seeing a red and sticky substance on her fingers: blood.

She was in a state of shock for a moment, wondering how she had gotten hurt, but then realized she did not feel any injury on her person. Then realized she had just hugged her father, and he was bound to be covered in blood from the other men he battled, but this blood was fresh.

"Father?" She questioned him in a whisper looking up at him, to see him swaying slightly.

"I should say," Fenrir replied looking at Sif, "I don't remember your hair being black.. the last I… saw you," He trailed off before collapsing, Althea and Sif catching him as he fell.

"Help! Help!" They both called to the soldiers around them.

"Captain!" One soldier called running over and taking the weight of their father from them.

"He needs a healer!" Althea told him as another man came and took their fathers other arm, holding him up and taking him to the healers, with Sif and Althea right behind them.

* * *

They'd been made to sit outside the healing halls while their father was tended to, and that had been over six hours ago. Althea didn't know about Sif, but she had blindly watched soldiers and other people come and go from the halls the entire time, but all she felt was numbness. The image of her mother dead was also constantly plaguing her, she only hoped their father was not going to join her in Valhalla yet.

It may seem selfish; why wouldn't she want the two lovers reunited? But she and her sister needed their father, the one constant in their life that they could always rely on besides each other.

"Althea," Sif's voice called, but it seemed so far away, "Althea!" She said again, this time accompanied by a nudge or two, which caught her attention.

She blinked a few times before looking up at a standing Sif, who pulled her up from the floor, holding her up until she got her legs under her again, "They say we can see him now," Sif explained to her, gesturing to one of the healers who was waiting by the door.

Althea nodded, happy he was alive, but she wouldn't smile until she knew he was back to full health. Slowly they followed the healer to the back of the healing halls, passing beds of sick and injured. Even when worrying for her father, all Althea wanted was to stop and ease their pain, to heal them and give them words of comfort, even when she didn't know them. But she didn't have the training, at least not yet. She decided she would start to learn, focusing on the healing arts of magic before anything else.

"He was gravely injured, and lost much blood from his body. We spent our time aiding his body by healing the wound. But even our healing magic is not great enough to completely heal him, but just enough to save his life," The healer explained to them as they came upon their father's bed, where he lay looking pale and weary, the rise and fall of his chest shallow. But he still lived and breathed.

"He needs rest now, but you may wait by his side until he awakens," The healer said gesturing to the two chairs beside the bed, before leaving, closing a curtain around them and their father, casting it in silence, blocking the outside noise.

Slowly, Althea took one of the chairs and pulled it up to the bed, grabbed his hand and held it with her own, Sif doing the same with the other.

* * *

Loki waited in the library for Althea to join him at their usual table, and after she was over ten minutes late, he realized she must have gotten lost again, but knew she would find her way. He waited, and waited, and waited. Three hours passed and he began to worry for her. She wouldn't just forget the place they met for over 3 weeks now. Not after they had just started to become friends and even before the friendship was given a title, Loki had enjoyed her presence.

It was soft, and light, so different from anyone else he had ever known. But as their friendship grew, he realized she was much more out spoken and out going than he'd first realized. It seemed she had been shy and timid around him when they'd first met, when she still called him everything _but_ his name.

And so Loki found himself missing her presence in the library, finding himself much lonelier than he was before she ever came into his life. They had finally mastered the illusion spells, but he himself was planning on going into more advanced studies of illusions than Althea wanted. He next planned to create a copy of himself, and teach Althea an invisibility spell that he had mastered before any other spell he'd taught himself.

He mostly did it out of spite; he felt invisible already, so why not make himself truly invisible to the eye? He wanted to see how long it would take people to notice his absence. Thor had taken a day, his mother only five hours, and Odin didn't notice at all.

But then Loki's thoughts turned darker, like the most often did when he didn't have his way. What if Althea decided she didn't want to be his friend anymore, what if she thought she learned enough from him and would go on by herself without him? How could she take for granted the time he put into teaching her magic? Did she not understand the patience he needed for the job? Days and days of no results from her, yet he did not give up!

Loki pushed his chair back and stood up, blocking out those dark thoughts. He shouldn't make assumptions. He would go and find Althea, see what was keeping her delayed. So with that in mind Loki left the library and started walking through the palace halls to go to her home.

"Brother!" Thor's voice called out behind him.

Loki couldn't help but feel annoyed, of all times, Thor had to show up now?

Nevertheless, Loki plastered a smile on his face and turned around, "Thor, how are you this day, brother?" He asked him.

"Well, brother! But I am on my way to see the lady Sif, she is quite upset today," Thor replied and Loki was confused, what was Sif upset about now, "And how is Althea fairing? I know you two have been spending time together these past few weeks," Thor asked him.

"Even though it is not any of your concern brother, Althea and I have spent time together," Loki agreed before asking him, "I haven't seen her this day, why is Sif upset? And why would Althea also be?" Loki asked him confused.

"I see you've had your head in a book again brother," Thor replied smirking before growing serious again. "It seems Sif and Althea's father returned last night, a long with his party. Many were injured including their father, he is in the healing halls," Thor explained to him.

"And how do you know this?" Loki asked him tilting his head.

"I escorted Sif home only a short time ago, she told me of her father, and that Althea has not left his side since they were given permission to see him. I would have stayed with Sif longer, but father had called for me so I had to leave. I am on my way back to her now," Thor continued on but Loki tuned him out.

This explained why she had not shown up, and he felt slightly guilty for the dark thoughts he'd had when wondering where she'd been.

"I will speak with you later, Thor, I must go now," Loki said goodbye to his brother, interrupting his talking before turning around the way he'd come and going straight to the healing halls.

* * *

After arriving in the healing halls, he'd asked a healer where he could find Fenrir Ulfrson, and she had pointed out a bed covered in thick white curtains. He nodded to her and walked over to it, before slowly opening the curtains and stepping inside.

The only light source was a small candle flame, but he could see Althea sitting there completely still with watery eyes. She didn't even seem to sense his entrance, staying completely still as he walked around the bed and sat in the empty chair beside her.

As he looked over at her, he saw her to be covered in dried blood, a sight he never wanted to see again. He didn't know why, but the thought of Althea and blood together did not sit well with him. He supposed it was because she was his friend and he cared about her a great deal more than he wanted.

Slowly he put a hand on her shoulder, finding her to be cold to the touch. Why hadn't the healers brought her a blanket? He'd be angry later, but right now he had a hurting friend to see to, "Althea?" He called out gently, but still she did not stir.

"Althea?" He called again, and still he got no response, "Althea?" He said this time more forcefully, as well as turning her body so she faced him.

He stared into her unseeing eyes, waiting for some recognition to be shown, and after waiting a few moments the focus returned to her eyes, "Loki?" She questioned in a whisper.

"Hello," He replied looking at her, glad he had finally gotten a response.

"Loki… " She trailed off before seeming to realize something, "Oh! I.. I should have met you, or sent word, but my father, he was injured, dying, but they saved him, but he is still-" A mess of words left her in a rush, and Loki had a hard time keeping track but he put a finger on her lips to sush her.

"It's of no importance now, you needed to be with your father," Loki told her, removing his finger.

She nodded, before her eyes started to fill with tears, "I thought he was dead," She told him. "When they didn't come and get Sif and I for so long, I thought he was gone, just like mother, just like Stigandr," She said, though he wasn't sure who this Stigandr was, but it didn't seem important at the moment as Althea's chest shook with the force of her sobs.

Loki wasn't sure what had possessed him to do it, but he had pulled Althea into his arms to comfort her. Her arms went around him, and her face tucked into the space between his neck and shoulder, her tears dripping onto his clothing. But Loki found he didn't really care, and instead slowly ran his hands through her long golden hair to sooth her, and it seemed to work as soon her sobs died down, but she didn't move, and he wasn't going to make her let go anytime soon.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :)_

_Thank you ll for the faves/follows and reviews! They mean the world to me! :) _

* * *

It had been three weeks. Three weeks since _he_ had been the one to hug _her_. And still, he couldn't stop thinking about how she had felt in his arms, or how she had fallen asleep lying against him. He knew it meant she trusted him, but was he truly worthy of that trust? He was known to be untrustworthy, but something about her made him drop all of his defences whenever she was near.

Seeing her covered in blood had struck a chord within him, but he was still trying to figure out exactly which cord. But, Loki was not stupid, and he learned to understand his emotions at a young age, and so he knew he was feeling something more than friendship for Althea. Exactly what feeling, was something he didn't know. At least not yet.

One idea was that he might be seeing her as a sort of sister, but every time the thought presented itself, he knew it was very, very wrong. So what else was there? He was determined to figure it out. And soon.

Her father was recovering nicely over the three weeks, and as he recovered she became happier with each day. Yesterday she had gone on and on about how her father was being sent home with a perfect health record.

And of course, his mother, who loved to throw a party, persuaded Odin into having a celebratory feast and gathering to honour the departed soldiers, and celebrate the ones who had returned safely. And just to make it even better, he was being forced to participate in the festivities.

Well, Loki realized he should have expected it. It wasn't often he was allowed to miss them, even though Frigga knew well that he hated them.

As he turned the corner to go into the alcove in the library, at the table where he usually met Althea, he received a surprise.

She was already sitting at the table, and was what looked like impatiently tapping her foot on the floor. But what was odd, was that she was here before he was. And he usual came an hour early.

As her eyes landed on him she quickly stood up and looked at him, "Loki!" She exclaimed smiling at him.

"Hello," He greeted taking a seat at the table, watching as she did the same. "What are you doing here so early?" He asked her.

* * *

Althea had made a decision. And it was made while she was surrounded by all the sick and injured in the healing halls as she visited her father.

While she did love the type of magic Loki was teaching her, she decided she wanted to focus her studies on learning magic to do with healing and life. She had always known she wanted to be a healer, but now she realized she wanted to be so much more. She'd heard the healer when she'd said how long and how many of them it had taken to heal her father. It was ridiculous. All because magic was looked down upon, no one wanted to chance having or using more than was absolutely necessary, and because of it, lives were lost.

That was why she had left her home, and her father in the hands of the very capable Sif and gone to the library to make sure she caught Loki. She knew she was over an hour early, but she couldn't wait any longer and had just gone anyways, knowing she would have to wait for him.

But she was pleasantly surprised when he had shown up not ten minutes after she herself had arrived. She stood up at his entrance, and then sat down again when he did.

"What are you doing here so early?" He asked her curiously.

"Loki, you must know, I have enjoyed learning all that you have been teaching me these past weeks, especially the illusion spell…" Althea trailed off, slightly losing her nerve but she knew Loki was the only one who could help her. "I would like to focus on spells having to do with healing and life. I want to be the first healer to use more than a little bit of magic, the first to be able to heal a person without the aid of five other healers!" She said, a hint of anger in the last statement.

She watched as Loki only stared at her before he slowly nodded, "Very well." He replied looking around the room. He stood up and walked over to his personal shelf, scanned the books, then plucking one off the shelf, returned to the table and handed it to her.

Slowly she took the book from him and set it in front of her, but it had no name.

"What is this book about?" Althea asked him, going to open it. But Loki's hand on hers stilled her movements, causing her to look up at him.

"First, you have to understand that only you and I can see that shelf, because I made it so. And second, you have to realize that the contents of that book are…dangerous," Loki explained to her slightly hesitantly.

"…Why?" She asked him curious and wary.

"Life is like one side of a coin, it is healing, it is light, it is all the good in the world. However, the other side is death, and sickness and darkness. To understand one, you must understand them both," Loki explained, in what she could only guess was the simplest of ways.

All she could do was nod that she understood, but in truth she was still taking it in. She supposed it made sense. How could you have one without the other? For what is death without life? And what is life without death? Neither could truly exist without the other.

"Are you positive you truly want this?" Loki asked her, "This is not illusions and invisibility spells; this is magic that has consequences."

Althea knew straight away what her answer was, and with no hesitation, she answered him, "Yes, I want this," And then opened the book.

* * *

The next night, Loki found himself standing around the banquet hall among hundreds of other people dancing, laughing, talking and eating. He couldn't wait for it to be over and he'd only been here for an hour.

He decided to walk around, make it look like he was having a good time or he'd have his mother coming over to him, introducing him to the daughters of lords in the hopes that he would take a liking to one of them. She didn't seem to understand they only had eyes for Thor.

His eyes swept passed a very beautiful young woman, before he did a double take and realized it was Althea. She was dancing with a man older than herself, dressed in a beautiful floor length emerald-green dress. But it was more like she made the dress look beautiful. Though one emotion he did feel was jealousy of the man she was dancing with. Didn't that man understand how lucky he was? But for some reason it hurt him to watch her dance with that other person, though he knew he had no right to feel jealous, it wasn't like they were courting.

Even so, Loki found it within himself to rescue her and walked over, tapping the man on the shoulder, "May I cut in?" He asked and the man gave no argument, nodding and stepping away from Althea.

Loki soon took his place and the two of them started dancing, Althea sighing in relief, then smiling up at him, as he was taller than her, "Thank you," She said.

"My pleasure," Loki replied, "Though it did look like you were having an interesting conversation."

Althea laughed, "Well if you call talking about his prized horse interesting, then yes it was," She told him shaking her head.

They soon lapsed into a comfortable silence, gently dancing to the music around them.

Around two songs later, Loki asked her something that had been on his mind, "I have been meaning to ask you, but who is Stigandr?"

He felt Althea tense slightly in his arms before sighing and looking away from him to their surroundings, "He is my brother," She replied, shocking him.

"I wasn't aware you had a brother," Loki told her furrowing his brows.

"I suppose the correct term would be had, he died, along with my mother in childbirth," Althea explained quietly.

"I'm very sorry for your loss," Loki offered, wishing he hadn't asked, feeling the drop in Althea's mood.

"Thank you," She replied, "Sif and I were only forty when it happened...but I remember watching my mother die, and being told that the brother we were looking forward to having was also gone…" She trailed off sadly.

Loki nodded, not sure what he could say to that.

"It's why I never favoured battle like Sif did," She continued. "I wanted to help people, maybe save a woman who was in my mother's position," She explained to him, "That's why I said yes to you yesterday in the library."

"A powerful reason," Loki told her, "It helps for there to be a drive behind your magic."

Althea nodded before pulling away slightly, "Thank you for dancing with me, but I wish to be alone for awhile," she told him as he nodded in acceptance, watching her walk away…

* * *

Althea was glad she could tell Loki about her brother and mother, and although it made her sad to think and talk about, she didn't mind Loki asking about it.

She was on her way out to the balconies when her arm was grabbed and she was pulled to the side. Her eyes widened in surprise, before she caught sight of the dark hair she was slowly growing accustomed to, and the similar blue eyes she and her sister shared, "Sif!" She called out in surprise, "What are you doing?"

"You've been around prince Loki a lot lately, why?" Sif asked her.

"Well, why not?" Althea challenged her.

"He's dangerous," Sif replied with conviction.

"He's my friend," Althea argued back.

She didn't understand her sister's problem with him. Sure, he'd chopped off all her hair, but it seemed like it was for the better. It taught her sister humility, something she was previously, and tragically lacking.

"You should end the friendship now," Sif told her looking serious.

"And why should I do that? I can choose who I do and do not spend my time with," Althea said getting slightly angry. "What's your problem with him? I thought you were over the plight with the hair? And I will admit it wasn't exactly called for, but he did go and get you new hair!"

"It's not just about the hair! He has magic and everyone knows it! There is a reason he doesn't train with us anymore sister!" Sif said raising her voice slightly, but not enough to draw a crowd.

"Well if this is the way you speak of him then he has a very good reason!" Althea replied before pushing Sif away from her and walking away, this time making it to the balcony with no interruptions.

She went and leaned against the banister, looking down at the streets and homes below her, then stretching her gaze further to the darkness, filled with stars to brighten it.

"I am sorry for bringing your brother up, I should never have asked," Loki's voice said from behind her.

Althea shook her head, "It's not what you said Loki, it's Sif, she doesn't like that we're friends," She explained turning to face him.

"I see, she is still holding a grudge from the hair, but I still will not apologize to her, getting her new hair was an apology enough," Loki replied walking closer to her.

"It's not the hair. I believe she is over that now. She said something about a reason you no longer train with Thor and her, and the others.." Althea trailed off, leaving the sentence open.

Loki nodded, before he too walked over and leaned against the bannister, "Well, she is right, there is a reason…" he trailed off ,looking down at the city.

Slowly, Althea took her hand and set it on his shoulder, "It's alright, you can tell me, I promise not to judge you," She said to him.

"Don't make promises you won't be able to keep... but very well," Loki agreed, "I once did train with my brother and his friends, but I have never been as muscular as they are, which I am sure you've noticed. I had to make up for it in other ways, which led to my discovery of magic. After a while of teaching myself, I started to become more confident. One afternoon, one of Thor's friends challenged me to a sparring match, obviously trying to show off as he'd seen Thor beat me himself many a time. We'd been sparring for over twenty minutes and I was beginning to tire, but my opponent showed no sign of fatigue. He had me pinned down and I grew so angry," Loki stopped to take a breath and she continued to listen to his story. "I don't know what happened really, but one minute he was pinning me to the floor, and the next he was flying off me and into a stone column…" Loki trailed off.

"And?" Althea prompted him.

"And his back was broken...he was paralyzed," Loki finished turning away from her.

Althea sucked in a breath, then turned him so he faced her, "You had no way of knowing what would happen Loki, and it's unfair for them to judge you. It was an unfortunate incident, you'd only started practicing magic; you had no control," Althea offered him as much assurance and comfort as she could.

"It doesn't change anything, it still happened," Loki said, and she could tell there was hurt and anger in his voice.

"We don't have any control in what does or doesn't happen. But I know because of that, you trained harder in magic, learned to control it faster than you would have otherwise!" Althea said to him, smiling slightly in his direction. "That's why I care about you, because you understand what having power means."

Loki nodded, "Thank you for your kind words," He told her, meaning it.

"That's what friends are for," Althea replied smiling, "It's time you start realizing that," She told him before taking his hand and pulling him away from the balcony, "Now come along, I would like to get a few more dances in before the end of the party!"

"As you wish," Loki replied smirking as they walked through the doors of the banquet hall to do as she wanted.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :)_

_Thank you all so much for the reviews/follows/favorites! :)_

* * *

300 years later

An older Loki, looking around twenty, was pacing in the corridors impatiently. Althea had been in the head healers study for over five hours now. He'd promised her he would wait for her, but at the time he thought it would be an hour at the most, not five.

But still he waited, something he would never do for anyone but her. He'd finally figured out how he truly felt about her 200 years ago, and by that time, he realized that he didn't just like her, he loved her.

Not that she would know, and Loki wasn't sure she ever would. There was never any sign of her returning his feelings, so he kept them a secret from her. Which was harder than it sounded, as he tended to tell Althea many things, but not _all_ things.

They both had progressed in magic exponentially over the years. And they were both still learning more and more each day together, mastering different things.

Even now, Loki wasn't sure exactly why he had fallen in love with her, or how, he just knew that he did. The feeling just snuck up on him, like Althea so often did, having mastered the ability to remain unseen and unheard when she wanted, just like he had. Though she somehow always knew when he was about to sneak up on her.

The rumours of their friendship grew in number after the banquet they had first danced together at, what now seemed like so many years ago. The two of them were often seen together. So much so that a rumour had started that he had enchanted her to be his friend. Like he would ever do such a thing! Not to mention that it irked him (not that he would ever show it) that people thought so low of him, or that he would have to resort to an enchantment to make Althea be his friend.

He turned his attention back to the door, thinking he'd seen it move, but it remained shut. Inside, Althea was undergoing a knowledge test to see if she could qualify for being an apprentice healer. The thought often crossed his mind to go in (invisible to the instructor of course) and give Althea all the answers, but knew that would not be fair and she would be angry if he did so.

He helped her ready herself for the test for over a month. It was well over 300 years, if he counted how long he'd been teaching her the magic she would now be using in the healing halls once she passed. And she would, he had no doubt about that. The only thing he did doubt was her acceptance from the other healers. Obviously her magic was greater than their's and any others besides himself (the only other known magic user) but the true power of it even he didn't know.

But there was a reason the healers had never further studied healing magic than the simple spells they had. It was the same reason magic was looked down upon by almost everyone in Asgard. It was because it was said that those with magic would be tainted and turn dark like so many had before.

There was a time when many Asgardians were magic users, but as they learned more, they began to crave more, eventually becoming greedy and power hungry, turning into a sinister people. But he could never imagine Althea being like that, ever. And every time someone looked at her like she was, and he saw the hurt on her face because of it, he wanted to hurt them. So maybe they were right in some ways, but it wasn't because of his magic that he was filled with so many dark thoughts. It was just who he was.

He looked up and stopped pacing as the door opened and a healer came out, holding the door for Althea who walked out then turned to the woman. "Thank you," Was all she said, betraying nothing in voice or posture.

He watched as the woman nodded, went back inside her study and then closed the door. Loki waited for Althea to tell him what happened but all she did was take a deep breath and then slowly turn to him with a straight face.

"…Well?" He asked her.

Immediately a bright smile lit up her face. "I passed!" She said rushing over and pulling him into a hug.

"Congratulations!" Loki told her as he too smiled at her happiness, "I never doubted you."

"Loki, thank you so much! I could never have done this without your help!" Althea said pulling back slightly, but staying close to look him in the eyes.

He couldn't help but be distracted by her eyes, they were beautiful, just like she was. Gods, he loved her.

Before he could even understand what he was doing, or stop himself, he'd leaned forward and captured her lips with his own, simultaneously pushing her backwards until her back hit the wall. And as he felt the jolt, he was about to pull back and...he wasn't sure what he would do. But then she started to respond, moving her lips in time with his. Then he felt her soft hands grab his face and neck and pull him closer, if it were possible, and any doubts he had had were gone from his mind.

It wasn't like he'd never kissed a woman before, but he'd never had a kiss like this. Her lips were soft, sweet and warm against his as they moved slowly at first, before he began to become more aggressive. He moved his hand down to rest on her waist, while the other rested on the back of her neck.

Suddenly, he pulled away, backing away from her. Why had he done that? Quickly, without even looking at her, he turned and left her standing there. Not noticing her slowly smile and touch her lips.

* * *

Althea hadn't seen Loki for a week. Not since he had, since _they_ had kissed and he left her standing there. She wasn't sure what to think of it, and still wasn't. She liked it, she liked it a lot, and began to realize she had much deeper feelings for Loki than just friendship. So that got her thinking, maybe he did too. But then she also didn't want to think too much into it. Maybe he was just caught in the moment of her happiness for passing the knowledge test; they both were. He had to have remembered her responding though, didn't he?

She had gone looking for him the next day, after the shock of things had worn off but couldn't find him anywhere. She looked until she couldn't anymore, and was supposed to be in the healing halls for her first day in training. Which didn't feature anything exciting except for a tour of the place and instructions on how to work the utensils, which was more complicated than it looked. But she'd had a good instructor and after a few tries had finally understood how to work everything, for the most part. Everything else she couldn't learn until she had a patient, which she received on her second day.

Althea expected much more than what she got. A sprained wrist, all that was needed was a simple bandage to be worn. The third day was an open wound needing to be sealed (apparently the healers only used magic on the most dire of patients), something she found ridiculous, but also understood. They shouldn't waste their energy on healing cuts and bruises that were not life threatening. That's what the healing herbs and bandages are for.

Now, everyone else was tending to a patient except for herself, who was currently re-stocking a drawer with herbs. It was important, she agreed with that, but she'd been hoping for something a little more exciting to keep her mind distracted.

All she thought about when re-stocking shelves was Loki and what he was doing, where he was, _who_ he was with. That was a new one. She'd never cared about whom he'd spent his time with before now. She just didn't want that kiss to change who they were to each other; she didn't want to lose him.

"Help! Please! My son!" A shrill voice cried entering the healing halls.

Althea looked up towards the sound, to see a woman walk in with a man, and in his arms was a still and bloody little boy. As she was the closest, Althea forgot the herbs and ran over to the pair, directing them to a free bed, "Set him down here!" She instructed the man, who did as she instructed.

Quickly, she pulled up the soul forge to see the damage inside the boy's body, schooling her features to not betray anything to the parents. But inside, she was afraid for him, almost all of his ribs were cracked and had punctured his lungs, his internal organs were almost mush, it was a miracle he was still alive.

"What happened?" She couldn't resist asking them, wondering what could cause so much damage to his small body.

"The horse was startled, he was thrown off and trampled," The father told her as he held his crying wife.

"And the horse?" She asked him, pulling out some healing herbs that had some magical properties.

"I don't care about the horse!" The man snapped at her, "It ran off, good riddance!"

She nodded, she was only curious, but realized she should probably work on keeping her curiosity to herself.

She set about making the salve with the herbs as quickly as she could, before spreading them gently over the boys chest, watching the hologram for any change, but it seemed the damage was too great. Sighing, she opened up another drawer and pulled out a liquid, taking a cap full and pouring it into the boys open mouth, then closing it, forcing him to swallow.

"What did you just give him?" The father asked her.

"I gave him something to relieve the pain," Althea replied looking away, "I'm sorry but there is nothing we can do for him now but ease his suffering," She told them regretfully.

"No!" The woman shouted breaking away from her husband and griping onto Althea's arms, "Please! There must be something! Anything you can do for him!"

Althea went to shake her head no, when she realized there was something she could do, something she had made Loki teach her to do. But it was risky, not just to herself, but to the boy. His fate was set, he was meant to die. Did she really want to risk the Goddess Hel's furry by saving him with her magic? But as she looked at the pain and anguish on the boy's parents' faces, so similar to the one she'd seen on her fathers the day her mother died, she knew she did.

"There is something I can try, but I cannot promise you anything," Althea explained looking at the woman, and then her calmer husband, to be sure they both understood.

"Try! Just try!" The woman begged her.

"Anything, I will give you anything you desire," The man told her, though she wanted nothing from him.

"Very well," She told them, "Please stand back," She said, and they did as she instructed, moving away from her.

Slowly, Althea took a deep breath and turned away from them, then turned off the hologram above the boy's body, before standing at his chest. She set her hands on his abdomen and closed her eyes to focus. Blocking out everything around her, Althea reached down into herself, finding what she was looking for much quicker now than she had when just starting out with magic. And once she found the magic that resided in her, she drew on it, taking more and more into her essence and sending it into the boy, imagining it flowing through his body and healing all his injuries.

She thought it was working, and it should have; it had worked on everything else she had ever healed before now. But then again, she had never attempted to heal an Asgardian had she… She felt the boy slipping from her grasp, and every time she thought she got a hold of him he kept sliding away like he was made of water. But she would not give up, she would not let him die. He was so young and had barely even begun to live! "NO!" She shouted with her mind at whatever force was pulling him away from her.

It seemed the force was slightly shocked and distracted by what she had done, as she finally got a hold of the boy and held on tightly, not letting go. Instead she wrapped him up in a golden glow, unaware that it was happening in the healing halls as well as her mind.

But at the same time she felt something take ahold of herself, wrapping around her energy and smothering it, making Althea feel like she was drowning, suffocating, dying; like she was surrounded by death itself.

A voice, feminine and warm, but cold at the same time if she could describe it spoke to her, _"...You have entered Helheim, the underworld and realm of half the dead, young maiden. But you are not dead yourself, only following the soul of a young boy…"_ The voice slithered through her mind like someone was walking around in it.

"He will not die this day," Althea told the voice with conviction.

_"…His… fate is…set,"_ The voice replied like she was talking to a child.

"There must be something I could offer you in exchange?" Althea asked the voice, not letting go.

_"I… am to receive…my penance, his life force,"_ The woman's voice replied, giving an indirect answer.

Althea wasn't sure what she could do, the voice wanted the boys life force, but she couldn't let it go, she couldn't let him die, she wouldn't! But what could she do? It said it needed it's penance, like it was owed something, like it needed life. And that's when she realized what the voice wanted. It wanted the life force of the boy, but maybe if she could give it something else… but what? She couldn't give it her life, and though it may be selfish, she wasn't prepared to give up her life for a boy she didn't know, who was destined to die (according to the voice). But she needed something, and fast…

She felt her body take another deep breath, and tilt her head upwards, and then sent her energy searching, anywhere, everywhere for something, anything. She looked in every crook and crevice, places she didn't even know existed, and had almost given up hope of finding something, when she saw it grazing in a field.

There was a horse, far from the settlements of the people, and she realized she knew of a horse that had taken off, the one that had trampled this poor boy. She knew it wasn't truly the animal's fault that it was startled, but she also knew it would be killed whether the boy lived or not. And so, with a heavy heart, but also determination, she sent her energy to that horse, seeping into it, and drawing away its life force, and bringing it inside her.

Though no one, not even she could see the animal, if there was a witness, they would have observed the horse being wrapped in a faint white glow, then lay down on its side, the glow turning black and red, becoming more visible and thick, then dissipating like it had never been there just as the horse let out its last breath and died.

Drawing herself back to the healing halls, Althea took the energy she had received from the horse, finding it to be strong and vitalized, and found herself tempted to keep it for herself, to give her strength. But she could not, she had gotten it for a purpose, and that was to save the boy's life.

"I offer you something else, in exchange for the boy's life," Althea told the voice, sending the horse's life force, not just life, towards its presence.

_"Hmmm…"_ The voice trailed off, seeming to be thinking about it._ "Very well young healer, but know this: do not make a habit of saving those destined to die, it will not end well for you,"_ The voice told her, this time clearer than before.

Althea felt the presence take the life force she had gotten from the horse and start to retreat, leaving the boy's soul with Althea.

But she could not again, stop the curiosity from over taking her, "Who are you?" She asked as it retreated.

_"...I am Hel, and you have caught my attention,"_ The voice told her, before it disappeared completely.

Althea really wished she hadn't asked, she was better off not knowing she had just spoken to Hel, of all beings. But she would have to think more on that later, as she was not finished yet. She sent the boys soul, which was what she now knew she held within her, something indescribable and put it back in its rightful place.

Then slowly, she pulled her essence back into herself, and then opened her eyes, blinking to adjust them the her surroundings. Sluggishly, she turned on the hologram of the boys body, finding the inside completely healed. She smiled slightly, happy with her work, and then looked up, to see many people surrounding her, watching her in complete silence.

Althea wasn't entirely sure how long she had been working to save him, but she felt quite shy all of a sudden as everyone stared at her, even the mother's crying had stopped.

She couldn't bring herself to break the silence, but it didn't seem she had to as the next thing she heard was a little boy's voice, "Mama? Papa?"

"Oh! Alrik! My boy, you're alright!" The mothers voice joined in happily as she rushed past Althea to hug her son.

Althea watched them with a smile on her face, happy she had been able to save the boy.

"Althea, how..?" The head healer, Aesa, and the one who had given her the knowledge test, spoke walking over to her. "How did you do that?" She asked her, slowly, and timidly, sounding slightly afraid.

Althea blinked slowly, suddenly feeling very tired and weary, like all of her energy had been sapped from her body. "I…I can't explain, I just… I used," Althea tried to answer Aesa's question, but she found herself falling, and her vision going black, knowing nothing more but darkness.

* * *

_A/N:_

_So things are starting to pick up now, and I jumped 300 years, so just keep that in mind when thinking about that kiss! _


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :)_

_Thanks so much for the follows/faves! :) _

* * *

Loki was annoyed with himself. A week and a half later and he was still avoiding Althea like a coward. But he didn't know what else to do. He had kissed her impulsively and now he didn't know what she was thinking of him. He knew he was only avoiding her because he was afraid of her rejecting him, being disgusted with what he did, and telling him their friendship was ruined. Honestly, he couldn't blame her if she did tell him to leave her alone, and he would, if that's what she wanted.

But there had to be a way to fix it! Maybe he could just tell her it was a mistake, and she would agree and things would turn back to the way they were, with him pretending to have only feelings of friendship towards her, when in fact he knew it wasn't true.

Why couldn't he have been like Thor? Having women chase after him wherever he went, sharing in the affections of a different woman each week. He knew women weren't lining up to be with him, but if they were then…No, Loki knew that even if they were, he would just ignore them. They would be annoying and Loki would probably use his magic to get them to leave him alone. Still, it didn't help him to not feel jealous of the attention Thor received. Not just with women. No he was always the favorite, always the likable one, and the golden son… well maybe if he'd been paid more attention to as a child he wouldn't be called the Silvertongue. It wasn't his fault. It was his parents for always focusing on Thor over him, punishing him for Thor's misdeeds. Like the time Thor had broken Frigga's favorite vase and blamed it on Loki, when Frigga demanded an answer. Couldn't his brother have just blamed it on a servant?

He was angry about so many things; it was hard to keep track of them, to understand them. The only way he knew how to express it was through his magic, through scheming and mischief making. Which, if he was honest with himself, he loved to do and enjoyed making other people miserable like himself. But he wasn't so lonely and sad when Althea was around him, it was like her presence blocked out all his pain and suffering.

Loki was preparing himself now, with the distance he put between himself and Althea, for her rejection, and for all the hurt and misery to be back and hurting him. He knew he would be causing more tricks and mischief around the palace, around all of Asgard afterwards.

"There you are!" An angry voice shouted over at him, and for a moment he thought it was Althea, but the voice was too deep to be hers.

Turning to look over, he saw Sif marching over to him in full armor, a very, very angry expression on her face.

"Here I am," Loki replied half-heartedly. What did she think he'd done to her now?

"This is all your fault!" Sif shouted at him.

"What is?" Loki asked her lazily.

"Ugh!" Sif grunted, before slapping him across the face, shocking him.

Slowly, he turned back to face her, tilting his head in confusion, "Now what have I done to deserve that?" He asked her.

"She's like this because of you! Because you taught her magic she's dying!" Sif yelled at him, while hitting him in the chest multiple times.

She was really testing his patience now; while others may let her get away with knocking them around, he was not one of them. And there was only so many times she could hit him before he snapped, "Who is dying?" He asked her, not knowing who she was speaking of.

But then he remembered what she'd said, and there was only one 'she' that he had ever taught magic to. Only one person in fact.. "What are you talking about?" Loki asked, grabbing her arms and holding them tightly in his grip, staring her down.

"Althea! She did some stupid magic in the healing halls to heal a stupid child and now she's been unconscious for three days and nothing will wake her! I've been searching for you, to just, to hit you! To blame you!" Sif yelled angrily, struggling to free her arms from his grasp, but being unsuccessful.

Loki was in a state of shock, Althea was dying? While he had been avoiding her for these past few days he'd really had no need to as she wasn't around to be avoided. But how could she have been so stupid?! He'd taught her better than this! She should have known better than to heal a child so much that it would drain her of her energy. He'd warned her when he first started teaching her the magic of healing and life that everything had a consequence! Had she not listened to him the thousands of times he'd reminded her, drilling it into her head?

"Take me to her right now!" Loki yelled back at Sif angrily, squeezing her arms tighter than was really necessary, but at this moment he did not care.

"No! You have no right to see her! Ever!" Sif screamed right back at him.

Now Loki was getting angry, who did she think she was? This pest of a woman telling him what he could and could not do! She would learn that no one but himself controlled what he did.

"I have no right?" Loki replied, in an eerily calm voice, "I have every right!" He yelled getting angrier by the second, so much so that he pushed Sif back until she hit a pillar, hard, "Who do you think you are?" Loki asked her, narrowing his eyes, "I am your prince! And you are just an annoying pest who is testing my patience!" He yelled before stepping back, calmly and slowly.

"Now, I don't need you to take me anywhere, do I?" He asked her, but did not expect her to answer him as Sif seemed quite shocked, "She will be in the healing halls, and I will go see her," He said, turning away from Sif, like nothing had ever happened, but then looked at her over his shoulder, "Without you." He told her with no room for argument and then left her standing there as he quickly made his way to the healing halls.

* * *

Loki looked at Althea's pale face, and couldn't resist touching her cheek with his hand, feeling how cold she was, even when covered in multiple blankets. The curtains were closed around the two of them, so he was alone in the very warm space, which seemed unable to seep into her skin as Loki sure felt it himself but he ignored it. His comfort didn't matter now, all that mattered was the fact that Althea was slowly dying, right before his eyes.

He was angry with her, for getting into this stupid mess, angry with the child for being trampled by a horse. Yes, he'd heard the story from the other healers on many different accounts over the two days he hadn't left her side. He was angry with them as well, for not helping her. It was their job after all, what were they even doing here if they couldn't save her life?

But most of all he was angry with himself, for not being there when it had happened, to have helped her save that boy. If they had done it together, combined, then she would not be in the state she was in now. And he not knowing how to help her.

He'd tried talking to her, yelling at her, even trying to reach into her mind but it was like she wasn't there for him to find, to help, to save. It was like her body was there, but it was empty, and she was... she was, he didn't know where she was and that worried him the most.

He could tell her body was dying, the only thing sustaining it was her Asgardian heritage, making it possible for her to go longer without food and water, as long as she had no real physical injury. He had no doubt that if she was a mortal from Midgard she would have been dead days ago, so now he was thankful for whatever had blessed them with their long lives. Something that had seemed so natural to him before, now felt like such a gift.

There was one thing he hadn't tried yet, and was a little reluctant to. It was after all the cause of what was happening to her now. Though he hadn't studied the healing and life magic as deeply as she had, he'd been there to help her understand it, and it wasn't a far stretch that he himself had also learned some of it. Though, he wasn't as good at it as she was, just like she wasn't all that great with the spells he had mastered long ago. They were opposites in that sense. Mastering each other's weaknesses was unusual, or he thought it to be at least. It wasn't like they had other magic users to speak about it with.

But he decided if he didn't try this, then nothing else would work, and she would...she would die anyway. With that thought in mind, Loki knew he would put all his knowledge of magic into what he was about to do, and he would save her, he had to believe he would or he would fail.

And so, he summoned his magic, that in his mind always appeared in a green colour and closed his eyes, setting his hands on either side of Althea's cold face. Then drawing it up, he sent it out his hands and into her skin, sending his life force into her, reviving her weakened body. But still she did not awaken. So he continued searching through her, like he was swimming through the darkest of waters. So dark, that he could not even see where he was heading. But still he continued on, searching further and further, until he saw a faint golden light, the same that always appeared whenever Althea used her magic, and knew he had finally found her.

Going towards it, it was like he was loosing energy, and slowing down the closer he came. Still, he pushed onwards, not stopping until he captured it, surrounded it with his own energy, feeding it, drawing it out, making it larger than the small size it was. It didn't respond at first, but after he became more insistent it complied, spreading out further and further, until it didn't need his guidance anymore, doing it all on its own. And Loki knew that was Althea's strength, her determination and will fighting for her to survive, which had kept fighting even as she had been so small.

He left her essence and retreated back within himself, opening his eyes quickly to stare at his love, watching as the colour returned to her cheeks and her breathing became even, though her eyes didn't open, and Loki realized she was just asleep now, and in no more danger. Sighing, he touched her cheek one more time then stood up and left to return to his chambers to get some much-needed rest.

* * *

The next morning, Loki returned to the healing halls, heading in the direction of the bed Althea was in. As he arrived, he saw Sif exiting the curtains, then closing them tightly to block out the sound and then she turned, coming to stand in front of him.

"Loki," She greeted nodding at him, though looking slightly wary, no doubt from the way he'd acted the last time the met.

Did he regret it? No. Would he ever? No, "Sif," He greeted in return nodding as well.

"I was actually coming to find you," She told him, though with what seemed to be reluctance, "She was asking for you."

So she was awake, Loki realized thankfully, "Then I will go see her," Loki said making to go around her, but Sif grabbed his arm, stopping him. Not this again... He let out a sigh.

"Althea may care for you, and overlook the danger that you present, but I will not," Sif told him staring him down. "She is my sister, my blood, my other half, and if you ever hurt her, I will kill you, whether you be the prince or not," She finished, giving him a serious look and then letting go of his arm, leaving him standing there.

Loki smirked, he had no doubt about that, but for now he was focused on Althea, and momentarily forgetting the kiss between them, he opened the curtains and walked inside, seeing her sitting up on the cot with her knees tucked into her chest, seeming to be deep in thought.

"You had me very worried," Loki said, standing at the foot of her bed.

Her head lifted to stare at him in shock, apparently not having heard him walk in, "Loki! I thought Sif would have taken some time to find you," She told him.

"I was on my way to see you when she came out of here," Loki explained nodding.

"Thank you, for coming to see me," Althea said to him smiling slightly.

And that was when Loki realized why the air between them was filled with awkwardness, the last time she had seen him, he'd kissed her, then walked away.

"Althea-"

"Loki-"

The both started at the same time before quieting, then Althea spoke, "You can go first," She told him.

Loki nodded, "I just wanted to apologize for how I acted in the corridor the other day, it was uncalled for," Loki apologized, he seemed to be doing that to her a lot lately. The only one besides his mother whom he had ever apologized to.

"It's alright," Althea replied, "I know you were just confused, I was as well, we can forget it," She told him with a small smile.

Loki's heart stopped, of course, she would want to forget the kiss, and he didn't know why he had thought otherwise, but while he was angry at her rejection, he didn't show it on his face, or in his voice when he spoke, "Of course, we can forget the.. kiss, ever happened between us, and our friendship can stay how it was," He told her, sending her a fake smile.

She tilted her head slightly, her smile faltering, before it picked up again, "Right, yes, let's forget about the kiss," She agreed, "Things can then return to..normal," She told him nodding.

"Yes, good," Loki replied, though he would never show how much it was hurting him.

They lapsed into an awkward silence, both avoiding the other's eyes, "Uhm, well I must be off, Thor wanted some help with…something," Loki made up an excuse, a pretty pathetic one if he was honest.

"Of course," Althea said nodding, a small smile appearing. "Well, thank you for visiting me," She told him ,"On your way out could you send Sif back in?" She asked him with a pleasant smile.

"Of course," He repeated what she had just said, "I will see you…later," He said before turning and walking out of the room, not noticing the tear fall down Althea's cheek as he did so.

Althea was in a sense of heartbreak, and she wasn't sure how to deal with the feeling. She felt sick to her stomach, and like she was going to lose the nonexistent contents of her stomach, but nothing came up her throat.

She wanted to tell Loki that she felt something more than friendship for him, to tell him that she had enjoyed that kiss. Her almost dying put her life in a bigger perspective, and she didn't want to have any regrets.

But she was glad she had allowed him to speak first, to avoid embarrassing herself, and destroying their friendship in the process. When he'd apologized, she thought he was talking about him leaving her standing there after kissing her, but he meant the kiss itself, and she'd agreed to forgive him for walking away. She might have done the same if their positions were reversed. But then when he said he was apologizing for the kiss, and not leaving her standing there, she couldn't make herself correct him.

She wasn't sure how she could go on seeing him everyday, and pretend that she did not love him, but she treasured their friendship and his company and wouldn't risk losing it. Maybe it was just a fleeting fancy, and she'd be over it in a few years, but a part of her, well all of her, realized that would not happen.

And as Sif entered through the curtains, Althea couldn't help but burst into tears as she saw her sister standing there, the one she could always rely on to comfort her.

"What did he do!" Sif shouted in anger, walking over and pulling her into a tight embrace, letting Althea cry into her shoulder.

* * *

A/N:

I know! Like how stupid can you be! But Althea is still learning and figuring things out, so she made a youthful mistake that will have consequences for her later in life. And I will say there will be consequences but the question is what they are and when they will make themselves known!

And please forgive me for this chapter! I have a plan! Loki and Althea will be together eventually... :)

Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :)_

_Thank__ you all so much for the favorites/follows! And the reviews! I appreciate it all so much and it keeps me writing! :) _

* * *

300 years later

"I am so proud of you both, and of the women you have become," Fenrir said staring at his two daughters, his eyes watering with unshed tears. "And I know your mother would also be proud of you," He told them smiling.

"Thank you father," Sif replied, hugging him, then kissing his cheek, before stepping back.

Althea nodded at him, "Thank you," She told him, before slowly embracing him tightly, then letting go.

A lot had changed in 300 years, Althea thought to herself as she and her sister waited to be let into the throne room together, to kneel before the All-Father, swear fealty, and receive their titles. She'd become a full-fledged healer, and had been made to study personally under Aesa, the head healer at the time, and still to this day. All thanks to the day she had saved that boy's life, and almost destroyed her own…

Word spread like wild fire in Asgard, and by the time she had been let out of the healing halls everyone had known what she had done, and been afraid of her because of it. Even when she had saved the boy's life, which was also mentioned, she had done so with magic, and because of that she was treated as an outcast. When she passed someone in the halls they would duck their head and avoid eye contact, or turn the other way completely.

She'd moved into the palace, which was filled with thousands of empty rooms, but it was necessary to be closer to the healing halls. It used to take her a half hour to get there from her old home, but moving into the palace had cut her time in half. But it also meant she was surrounded by unfamiliar servants, and the day she would remember most clearly was when Althea had set one of her mother's old vases in her new chambers. A week later, a servant girl, looking no older than just reaching adulthood had bumped the table, sending the vase falling, and shattering to the ground.

It also happened to be one of the few times that Althea was in there at the same time as the poor girl, who had gotten down on her knees and begged for mercy. Mercy, like she thought Althea was going to kill her for breaking a silly vase. She never understood until then just how looked down upon magic was, but even so, she never regretted Loki teaching it to her.

Althea had been appalled when the girl had gotten on her knees and hugged the floor at her feet. She'd gotten down on the floor herself and hauled the girl up. Explaining to her that she need not fear her, and that it was a mistake and she wouldn't be punished. Althea didn't think the girl truly believed her, but over time she became a regular in Althea's chambers.

Now, life as a magic was lonely, not that she had many friends before, but overtime she began to see Edda, as her friend, and not just the servant who had actually bowed to her, like she was some sort of royal… But one thing that Althea never dared to tell anyone, only keeping her own council, was that it had felt empowering to see someone bow before her.

And that was when she realized that some of the rumors of magic were true, it did corrupt the user, to an extent. Having all that power at her fingertips had made her feel invincible, especially after Aesa had described, in complete detail just what she had seen when Althea had healed the boy.

Apparently no one had really noticed anything out of the ordinary, until her hands began to emit a golden light that seeped right into the boy, becoming brighter and brighter until it completely enveloped Althea and the boy all around their bodies. Then something dark, black, had taken hold and mixed in with the gold, and Althea had no doubt it was the presence of Hel she had felt. Still, Althea would never know exactly what was seen as Aesa had been unable to describe it in such a way that she could visualize it in her mind.

She knew what happened on the inside, and how she had done it, who she had spoken to, what she did, and that was most important. She didn't care to put on a show for people to see, and she supposed it was beneficial slightly for people to be wary of magic. It meant that not all those who were dying would line up for her help to survive.

She remembered what Hel had said quite clearly, she'd said not to make a habit of healing those destined to die. And she knew better than to argue with the Goddess of Death. But even without Hel's warning, which was really a reminder, she still would not have healed all those meant to die. It was unnatural, and would upset the balance of life and death. That was why it had worked the time with the horse; she used it's life force as sort of stand in for the boy's.

It was something she doubted would work for an adult, as their life forces were much stronger and more stable than that of a child's. But still, she had gotten a feeling that she was meant to save that boy, that he should continue on living. She would not heal a dying person unless she received one of those feelings again.

She'd had no contact from Hel since then, and she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Part of her wished she hadn't of been so stupid, healing that boy and summoning the Queen of Helheim into her mind. But if she could go back and not save him, she would do the exact same thing. Though Althea wasn't sure if she was ready to deal with the consequences just yet. She didn't let herself believe that Hel had forgotten, or let her off easy, it just seemed Hel was a very patient woman...

Things wity other Asgardians became better over time. She wasn't treated like such an outcast once people saw all the good she'd done in the healing halls, or been on the receiving end of her magic to heal an injury. But she could tell they were all still wary, but also much more accepting.

At first, the only ones who had accepted her for it was Sif, Aesa (though she sensed it was with some reluctance), her father, even though he had tried to get her to stop practicing before he accepted it, and finally, but most importantly, Loki.

Things had been awkward between them, and changed after they had decided to forget about the kiss that had happened between them. But over time, their friendship returned to normal, well almost normal. She still harbored feelings for him, and knew she always would even if he didn't feel the same for her. And that was all right, she guessed. Because she didn't want him to feel forced to love her, and she couldn't force him anyways, even if she wanted to.

But it had been a very long, and lonely time for over a year when she'd felt like she had lost her best friend. Until one day they had caused some mischief, together, like the used to do in their younger days. This time it was the head librarian who was the target. He had been getting on both of their nerves over time, always complaining and arguing, even, eavesdropping on them. Well trying to, a simple spell was enough to block his ears.

One day, the two of them had become so fed up with it that they had concealed themselves with invisibility spells, and followed him around, casting illusions every time he touched one of his precious books. Causing it to look like the binding would break, pages would rip, come loose, or even when he went overboard and made the book 'disintegrate', which had sadly caused the librarian to run out of the library in fear of "destroying" anything more.

The books were completely unaffected, she and Loki both knew how important and treasured they were, and would never actually destroy them.

After that, things had returned to a new normal, though everything was also slightly different, which was to be expected. They were no longer the young adolescents they once were, and now she was 1000 years old, as was Loki at 1002. She'd been there when he had received his title, God of Mischief, which was completely fitting for him, if she said so.

She wasn't sure what titles she and Sif were to receive, no one but the All-Father did before the ceremony took place. She didn't care what her title was; it was just a great honour in itself to be receiving one at all.

"You may go in now," An attendant told her and Sif, and Althea realized her father was already in the throne room waiting on them to enter. She'd been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't even noticed.

"Thank you," She told the man, smiling nervously, before she turned to Sif, and hugged her sister.

Slowly she pulled back and they gave each other identical inspecting looks from head to toe. They were wearing the same garments, though different in colour. Sif was wearing red and silver, while Althea wore purple and silver.

They exchanged a silent communication, each letting the other know they were there. And slowly, they turned and faced the doors together, watching them be pulled open and then slowly the two began to walk forwards through the hall, passed the throng of people lining the walkway. All was silent, which was a custom before the title receiving, but Althea could feel every eye in the room on her sister and herself.

But she kept her head held high, until they reached the base of the All-Father's throne, before they both kneeled before him.

The moments before he spoke were torture at its finest, and yet Althea endured the silence and waited for him to speak.

* * *

As Loki watched Althea and Sif walk down the path heading straight for his father's throne, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Sif was of no importance to him, he only had eyes for the one he loved, and could never have. But she looked absolutely regal, and worthy of the title of Goddess as she came closer o him. He didn't think he had ever seen her look so beautiful and striking before then. Though he also thought it had to do with the confidence and the way she held her head high.

He wondered what her title would be; the Goddess of what? He knew Odin would make a fitting choice for her, after all his title fit him perfectly.

And as Loki watched Althea kneel in front of his father, bowing her head, he found himself not liking that she was kneeling for anyone, even the All-Father. But still, he also knew he had no say in the matter, and focused all of his attention on the proceedings.

"Rise, Sif Fenrirdottir," Odin spoke, looking down at the dark-haired woman below him.

Of course Sif would be first, Loki thought. Just because she was older it seemed, though he'd never cared to ask Althea who was the older sibling, but he now knew.

Slowly Sif did as instructed, while Althea stayed kneeling.

"You have shown exceptional abilities in the arts of war and battle. Although you are a woman, you have shown you are a capable warrior, and because of this, I, Odin All-Father, King of Asgard, proclaim thee, Sif: Goddess of War," Odin said, and on the ending note, hit his staff onto the ground, a wave of power leaving and spreading out, so all would know of Sif, and her title, and who she was.

But Loki didn't care about Sif's title, and so he was eagerly waiting as Sif kneeled once again.

"Rise, Althea Fenrirdottir," Odin instructed and Althea did as she was asked, while Odin looked down at the golden haired woman before him.

"You have shown exceptional abilities in the arts of magic and healing, with an affinity for sensing the life force that resides in all Asgardians, and because of this, I, Odin All-Father, King of Asgard, proclaim thee, Althea: Goddess of Life," Odin said, and again he lifted his staff, before slamming it into the ground, sending another wave of power out into the world, so all would know of Althea, and her title, and who she was.

As the last of the power from Odin's words faded away, the entire crowd erupted into cheers around them, and slowly Althea and Sif both rose, standing at the same height and turned to look at the assembled crowd to smile at them. Loki didn't miss that Althea looked at him for a time, smiling at him, in which he returned, before she looked away and ahead of her.

And Loki had never been more proud of the woman he loved, until this day.

* * *

Her father held a celebration for herself and Sif, the entire banquet hall being filled with people she did and did not know, though all seemed to know of her and Sif, the guests of honour.

So far, she'd had a rather good time, and she was so happy for herself and Sif, and what they had accomplished like they said they would as children.

She'd seen Loki around a few times, but she was always in the middle of a conversation with someone so much that she could never get away.

But, she was finally alone and was searching for the man she loved, but she could not find him now that she was finally free.

"Lady, Althea?" A man's voice called from behind her, causing her to turn to see a rather handsome man she had never met standing behind her.

"Hello," She replied pleasantly, sending a smile his way, even though she was searching for Loki, it was not in her nature to be rude. "I'm afraid I don't know your name," She prompted him.

"My name is Eirik Thvarison," He introduced himself smiling at her.

"Lovely to meet you Eirik," She told him as he walked closer to her, and she noticed the golden armor that he wore, telling her he was one of the guards of the palace.

"Would you care to join me in a dance?" He asked her, sending her a smile that she just could not refuse.

"Of course," She told him, walking closer as he set his hand on her waist and upper back, and soon the were engaged in a slow dance, that was slightly awkward at first, but she began to become more comfortable with him. She liked that he wasn't pushy either, and didn't speak about boring things, though he wasn't speaking at all.

"So, Eirik Thvarison, how long have you been a guard?" She asked him, to make conversation, though she really was interested; he didn't look that much older than herself but appearances could be deceiving.

"Just over 500 years now," He replied happily, a smile on his face at his accomplishment.

"You must be quite the warrior to have survived so long," She replied.

"Well, I suppose if the Goddess of Life tells me I am, then it must be true," He said, smirking at her, and she smiled back, before they lapsed into a comfortable silence, continuing to dance.

After a few more songs, she began to feel tired, and so slowly, stopped dancing as the song ended, "Thank you for keeping me company Eirik, but I am afraid I must retire now," She told him.

"Of course," He responded, "I have most enjoyed your company tonight," he said taking her hand and kissing the back of it, holding her gaze before standing up and walking away from her.

She sighed, realizing that it had been a few hours since she had started out looking for Loki, which meant he was probably gone by now, but she had been so wrapped up in her dance with Eirik she had sadly forgotten about Loki.

And as she slowly made her way to her chambers, she thought it might be time to do so, to let go of the love she held for him. She could never not have him as her friend, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult for her to be around Loki without feeling hurt around him, knowing she was lying to him, and that what she felt was wrong.

She entered her chambers, then sat on the chair in front of the burning fire, only to stare at it, blocking out all those painful ideas. How could she even think about letting go of her love for Loki? Where would she even begin? But eventually, she knew it would have to end, she couldn't live the rest of her life in such pain, because what kind of a life was that?

Ad so with that in mind, she decided to ignore the feelings of love she felt for Loki. From now on, she would pretend they didn't exist, and hopefully that would stop them for good.

She nodded to herself, getting up from the chair to ready herself for sleep, when there was a knock at her door.

Wondering who it could be, she opened the door, finding Etta to be standing there. "Etta!" Althea said in surprise, "What brings you here at such a late hour?" She asked.

"Forgive me, lady Althea," Etta replied, curtsying slightly. "But prince Loki came by here earlier looking for you, but you had not returned so he left this with me for you," She said holding out a small beautiful blue box.

Slowly Althea took it from Etta's small hands, then looked up at her, "Thank you," Althea said smiling at her, waiting for Etta to leave, but she didn't.

"Etta? Is there something else?" Althea asked tilting her head.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Etta asked her, slightly impatient sounding.

"Right," Althea nodded, slowly untying the beautiful green ribbons around the box, then lfting the lid, gasping at what she saw inside.

A beautiful necklace lay inside the box on a soft pillow. It was a symbol, with a tree growing out of it, like the symbol was it's roots, and then styled with green emeralds as the leaves, so fine and small she knew it must have been an expensive piece that had taken much work. The rest was silver, as well as the circle surrounding the silver tree and the strange symbol she thought seemed slightly familiar, but she didn't know where she'd seen it before.

All she knew was that it was beautiful, and slowly she lifted it and the chain from the box, slipping it over her head, then fingering it as it came to rest on her chest as it was a long piece. Then she noticed inside the box was a note, which she slowly opened.

_The symbol of life, for the Goddess of Life,_

_-Yours fondly, Loki_

Althea smiled again, then folded up the note neatly, putting it back in the box, then shutting the lid for safe keeping. She didn't question how Loki knew what her title would be, or if he'd had the necklace rushed to make, but she doubted it as the work was much too fine to be done in a night.

She smiled wider this time, before looking up to admire it in a mirror that hung on the wall, catching sight of Etta standing in front of her, causing her to jump slightly, she had forgotten she was even there. "Etta! I apologize, I was lost in my thoughts, thank you for delivering this to me," Althea said to her in a smile.

"It was my pleasure my lady," Etta replied before bowing slightly, then leaving the room shutting the door behind her.

Althea sighed, so much for forgetting her love for Loki…

* * *

Outside of Althea's door, Etta looked around the hall for any people. Seeing none, she smirked, a green glow emitting from her before slowly, Etta turned into a smiling Loki.


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :)_

_Thanks so much for the reviews you guys! Glad you all seem to be liking it so far! And to all the people who have favorited and followed thank you as well!_

_I'm not sure exactly where and what Loki was doing during the party, I guess no one will ever know for sure, including me!_

* * *

1 year later

As Althea walked down the snowy streets of Asgard on her way to her old home to have dinner with her father, just the two of them, she thought of many things, like she so often did while on a walk by herself. Absentmindedly, she fingered the necklace Loki had given her, which somehow turned into her official emblem. Not that she minded, she loved the design, and it reflected her new title of Goddess of Life.

The title was something she was slowly becoming used to, but one thing she had not expected, was to hear them. When Odin had sent out his power, letting everyone know who and what she was, she'd thought he'd only meant the people of Asgard. But it seemed her name had been spread to all the worlds.

She'd always wondered how the Midgardians had known of the Gods and Goddesses of Asgard, and now she knew. But she hadn't expected to hear them pray to her, the first time she'd heard a mortal, was when a woman had prayed to her for a child. That was something not in Althea's power, and while she hoped the woman got what she desired, she could not help her.

The Midgardians were under false beliefs about them, though some things were indeed true. Still, even though she had never been to Midgard, it hurt to hear their prayers and know there was nothing she could do for them. She'd never known what being a Goddess really meant until now, she had just thought it was a title and that was all, but she should have realized it was much more than that.

Only a year later and she was still learning; Althea didn't know when she would understand it entirely. She knew Sif was appreciating her title, and she told Althea that Midgardians had been praying to her too. Most wanted aid in battles but others just wanted Sif's blessing.

Althea was very proud of Sif, for accomplishing what they'd set out to do as young children. A part of her had sadly doubted the both of them. It was a child's goal after all, but they had pulled through and done it.

She kept twisting the necklace in her hand, only letting go when it started getting warm from all her grasping. Althea wasn't sure it was a good thing she had never taken the necklace off, as all it did was remind her of Loki, and her love for him. Yet, she couldn't bring herself not to wear it. It felt like a part of her now, and she was sued to the comforting jewelry.

One thing that did help to ease her pain though, was Eirik. Who kept showing up in her life so much, that just a week ago they'd went on a walk together in the garden. As friends only, at least that's what she thought, but Eirik, she wasn't so sure. But it wasn't his fault, he didn't know her heart was already held by another, (even though he didn't know it).

Still being around him was like a shield; he took away the pain and hurt she felt and made her happy. But as soon as he was gone again the pain would return. Althea knew she was using Eirik for her own needs, which wasn't fair, to either of them, but still she did not put a stop to their newfound friendship.

She believed he needed someone in his life, after all he'd been through, maybe Etta? He was a very nice man, and after everything, he was still fighting for what he wanted, something she admired.

With that thought in mind, she began to recall their conversation on their walk.

* * *

_"How old are you Eirik?" Althea had asked him in curiosity, you never could tell with an Asgardian._

_"I have just had my 2000th birthday," Eirik replied smirking._

_Althea's eyes widened in surprise, "But you said you've only been a guard for 500 years, why not a thousand?" She asked him in confusion._

_A dark look overtook Eirik's features, one she'd never seen before, one she didn't like. "I would have been, but I was in an…accident while training that left me seriously injured. I had to take a reprieve to heal, and then restart training," He explained, looking over at her._

_"Oh, I'm so sorry, I..I didn't know, I didn't mean-" Althea started apologizing, but Eirik waved her off._

_"It's alright, I never lost sight of my goal, and eventually I did become a guard like I had hoped to be," He said smiling, the dark look on his face gone._

_"You have great courage," She told him, smiling, "I don't know if I could have endured it for so long, and then try again," She explained._

_"You think too little of yourself, lady Althea, for I know you would, and could last even longer than I did," Eirik replied, laughter in his eyes._

_"Thank you," She said smiling, and they continued on their way…_

* * *

Eirik was so nice and sweet to her, and just naturally from what she had seen. That's why she felt so guilty for leading him on the way she was. She wanted to have feelings of the romantic kind for Eirik, but Loki held all of her heart.

And sadly, she could tell Eirik was beginning to see her as more than a friend. She was not the type to be rude, so she gave him polite and slightly reserved responses whenever he showed his interest in her. And she also realized she had to explain things to him, and soon.

As she walked up to the door of her old home, she didn't have a chance to knock before the door was opened and a servant stood there, waiting for her to enter, which she did so, and heard the familiar bang as the door closed behind her. She pulled off her cloak, then handed it to the waiting servant with a smile. She continued on through the large house until she made it to the dinning hall, where her father sat alone, seeming to be waiting on her.

"Good evening, father," She greeted him pleasantly, kissing his cheek as she passed him, before taking a seat on his left.

"Hello, daughter. I've missed your company in this large house," He replied, smiling over at her.

"You still see me, and Sif, at least once a week," Althea replied, shaking her head with a little laugh.

"Yes, well I am used to the two of you being here, and seeing you everyday," Fenrir replied pointing a finger at her.

"Speaking of Sif, where is my sister?" Althea asked, him. She'd been under the impression it was going to be the three of them.

"Your sister sent word she would be running late, and told us to get on without her," Fenrir replied, as a servant filled his wine goblet, and then did the same for Althea.

"I propose a toast," He said to her, holding up his glass.

"Alright," Althea agreed holding up her glass. "What are we toasting to?"

"We are toasting to wonderful news that I have for you," Fenrir replied with an eager smile as he leaned in closer to her.

"Shouldn't we wait for Sif?" Althea asked him raising a brow.

"No, daughter, as this news only pertains to you," He repied, smirking.

"Very well," Althea nodded. "To good news," She said and they clinked glasses, then drank together, before setting their cups down.

"Now what is this news?" Althea asked him, slightly impatient.

"Well, I was going to wait until after we'd eaten, but I can see you're eager, so I will tell you now," Fenrir replied, looking very happy.

But Althea honestly had no clue what this good news could be.

"And?" Althea prompted him, leaning closer.

"Althea, my dear, you have made me very proud of you, you have accomplished so much in such a short time, only 1002, and you are already a goddess; the Goddess of Life at that! As well as a prominent member in the healing halls, and that's even without your magic!" Fenrir said to her, pride lacing his voice fondly.

"Enough praise father, please get to the point!" Althea said to him, a blush beginning to form on her cheeks.

"Well, I won't be around forever, and I want you taken care of, I think it's time you've found yourself a husband," He told her, nodding with confidence.

"What!" Althea shrieked, completely and utterly shocked, this was the last thing she had expected! "Father, I only just turned 1000!" She told him.

"And I married your mother when she was only 800," Fenrir told her, something she had never known. "And in fact, we'd had an arranged marriage. She hated me at first, but eventually we grew to love each other very much, just as you will with your husband," Fenrir told her, giving her a look that held a meaning completely lost on her.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I quite understand," Althea replied tilting her head.

"I know this is shocking for you dear, but I've taken the liberty of finding you a suitable husband myself, and have signed a contract of your betrothal only this morning," He explained, smiling at her.

She couldn't speak, she could hardly even think, and she stayed completely still, staring at her father, unblinking. He was either too absorbed in his explanation to notice the state she was in, or didn't care, as he continued. "A fine man, a soldier, a handsome one at that, or so I'm told. Can't say I notice those things much. He comes from a good and wealthy family, has land under his name, and can protect you in times of threat. So what say you, Althea? Would you like to go see your future husband?" He asked her.

"I don't think I heard you right father, I thought I heard you say you have betrothed me to be married," Althea said slowly, in an eerily calm and quiet voice. "Without consulting me first, without asking for my opinion!" She yelled standing up quickly from her chair, knocking over her wine glass as she did so.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me, child!" Fenrir replied, standing up as well and yelling right back.

"How dare I? How dare you! I deserve to choose who I marry!" She screamed right back at him, with the same temper, though hers was better controlled, but once released, it was volatile.

"As your father it was my duty!" Fenrir shouted heatedly.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life with someone that you chose!" She screamed, eyes watering, but she blinked through them, her fury so great.

Slowly, Fenrir calmed down, his voice softening, "As I said, I only want you taken care of."

"I do not need a man to take care of me, I am doing just fine taking care of myself," Althea replied, this time appearing to calm down as well, but on the inside, she was distraught.

Fenrir just shook his head, "You know nothing," He told her.

Althea narrowed her eyes at him, "And what about Sif? Is she also betrothed now? Did you take her decision away from her too?" She asked him, with barely controlled fury.

"No," He replied, shaking his head, "She cannot be married having just becoming the Goddess of War, she must focus on her battle skills. She cannot raise a family; have children while doing so on the battlefield. You however, have a much safer occupation, one ideal for having a family."

Althea took a deep breath, to try and calm down, but it did not help as her fury grew and grew, spilling over its hold, her eyes flashing a bright gold, as her magic was unconsciously summoned, "I hate you!" She screamed at him, voice filled with hate and anger, while her magic reacted to her temper, sending a blast around the room destroying furniture and knocking things away.

"And you will also stop this nonsense with magic! Today!" Fenrir yelled right back, seeming to be unafraid of the power she possessed.

Althea slowly released her anger, all that was left was sadness and pain. "So the truth finally comes out," She told him, eyes filled with hurt. "You never did accept my magic, it was an act the entire time! You have never accepted me for who I am," She said shaking her head, waiting for him to deny her accusations, but her father stayed silent.

Slowly, she turned around, walking from the destroyed dinning hall and over the pieces of her childhood home that now lay scattered on the floor in pieces, just like her heart.

"Come back here!" Fenrir yelled after her, but Althea continued on, not even stopping for her cloak as she walked out the door, leaving it wide open without a care as she walked, with no idea where she was going.

All she felt was numb, numb to all her emotions, all her sadness, all her grief over the disappointment in her father's eyes, and numb to the cold and frigid air that surrounded her.

"Althea!" Sif's voice came from in front of her, but to Althea it seemed so very far away.

Only the arms that wrapped themselves around her let her know Sif was truly there, and then her warm and soft hands, (even after handling all those weapons, they remained uncalloused) holding her face between them.

"Why are you crying?" Sif asked with worry.

"Father has betrothed me to a man I do not know, do not love, have never even met," Althea explained in a monotone. "And has asked, no commanded me to stop practicing my magic," She finished, staring into Sif's eyes.

"He did that?" Sif asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes," Althea agreed, "He signed the contract this morning."

"I meant about the magic," Sif replied, "He has commanded you to stop using it?"

Slowly Althea nodded as her senses began to come out of the numbness she had been filled with. "Why are you only surprised about the magic, yet you do not seem to be about the betrothal," Althea said looking at her sister, studying her for answers.

"I already knew of your pending nuptials, father asked for my opinion of the man you are to marry. Althea, he is a very kind man, I know you will be happy with him!" Sif said smiling at her, completely oblivious to the hurt and betrayal on Althea's face.

She swallowed thickly, stepping away from her sister. "You knew? And you dind't say anything? You didn't warn me! You didn't put a stop to it?" Althea said, glaring at her sister.

"It's not like that! It's the only way-" Sif started, but she cut herself off, apparently thinking better than to say what she wanted.

"No, go on, it's the only way what?" Althea asked her, waiting for an answer.

Sif sighed, before giving her sister a soft look, "I see the way you look at him," She said.

"Look at who?" Althea interrupted, confused.

"You know who!" Sif shouted, "Loki!" She screamed his name with hatred.

"You did this to me, because of your hatred for him? You betrayed me, your own sister, and your twin! Because of some grudge you have?" Althea asked, eyes flashing with anger as she took small steps closer to her sister.

"I also see the way he looks at you," Sif continued, ignoring most of what Althea had said, "I couldn't think of any other way that I could stop you from making a terrible mistake."

"And how does he look at me?" Althea screamed in fury, not understanding what her sister was talking about.

"How can you be so blind to what has been right in front of you for over 600 years?" Sif yelled back at her, "You love each other! And I had to act, before the two of you acted on your feelings!" She explained, though possibly telling more than she meant to.

"You're insane!" Althea accused her, "You condemned me to a miserable life all because of your delusions!"

"Oh stop being so dramatic!" Sif said narrowing her eyes, "It won't be a miserable life! And you'll get over Loki-" Sif continued, before she was interrupted, by Althea's hand as she slapped her.

Sif's head whipped to the side from the force of it, and knew it was hard enough to bruise her cheek, let alone leave a red handprint shaped mark. But she was too shocked to do or say anything. Her sister, her twin, had actually hit her, used violence against her, something she had never done before. This was what Loki did to her, changed her into someone who was not her sister, and this was why Sif did what she did.

"I was always under the impression that family supported family, through everything, but I was terribly and tremendously wrong about that," Althea said with a glare, showing no remorse for hitting her sister. And with that, she turned and walked away, without even a backward glance.

And as the anger began to leave her, the numbness did not return. Her breathing became shallow and she felt sick to her stomach as she made her way through the palace, headed in one direction, to one destination: Loki's chambers, where he would be.

* * *

Loki was sitting in front of his fireplace, reading a very, very boring book. But there was nothing else to do.

So when there was a knock at his door, he was glad of the distraction.

"Come in," He called, not even looking up from his book.

He heard his door swing shut, and then a broken sob, followed by, "Loki," Althea's voice he immediately recognized, causing him to look up and over at her.

What he found was not the usually smiling and happy woman he'd come to love, instead stood a trembling, crying, hyperventilating woman. He quickly stood up and ran over to her, capturing her in his arms, "What has happened?" He asked in fury, "Who has done this to make you so?" He asked her, "Why are you not with your father? You said you were meeting him tonight," He asked another question.

A choked sob left her at the mention of her father, and he worried if something had happened to Fenrir to cause her to be so upset. "My…my…fa…Fenrir," She growled, a sound he'd never heard come from her, but then it was followed by another broken sob, her chest heaving from the force of it. "That man has…he has," She stopped, apparently not being able to say the words, as the next thing he knew he was supporting her weight as her knees gave out.

Luckily he'd been holding on to her tightly, not that he would have let her fallen, but quickly, Loki set his arms underneath her, picking her up and carrying her small form over to his bed, ignoring the image of her actually on his bed, but focusing on the distressed state she was in.

"What has he done?" He asked kneeling on the floor so his face was level with hers.

Slowly, she took a deep breathe again and then answered, "He has betrothed me to be married," She told him with a tone of disbelief, like she couldn't believe what she had just said. "And commanded me to stop my use of magic," She told him, but Loki had stopped fully listening at the word betrothed.

This wasn't supposed to happen, never had this crossed his mind before. In all the possibilities he had thought of, this was not one of them. Thinking about Althea being married to someone who was not him, had been much too painful to even imagine. And now he wished he would have, to have come up with ways to combat this, to get out of it. But he'd always imagined she would be the one getting herself into the marriage, and all he wanted was for her to be happy, no matter how angry and unhappy it made him.

But never had he considered the possibility that her father, he growled the title in his mind, would be the one to betroth her. And because of that, for once he did not have a solution, and did not know where to start.

"Loki," Althea's small and weak voice called out to him, "What can I do? How do I get out of this?" She asked him.

And all though his heart broke while telling her, he only spoke the truth, "I don't know."

She squeezed her eyes shut, causing more tears to fall and with each one Loki felt like a piece of himself was being ripped out of his chest. A hand was squeezing his heart, constricting its movements and shooting pain through him, but he knew he would find a way out of this, he had to. "I'll fix this," Loki promised her, "I will not stop until I do," He told her with conviction.

Slowly she nodded, trusting him, that he would help her, and Loki hoped that trust was not misplaced.

"You need rest," he told her, "You look exhausted, you can stay here while we figure this out," He said, slowly standing up, then pulling the blankets out from underneath her body, and then over her shaking form.

"Stay with me?" She asked him, pleadingly.

"I won't leave the room," Loki told her, a small smile appearing on his lips.

But slowly, Althea moved closer to the middle of the bed, leaving a space open on the side, and then she lifted the blankets, "I meant in the bed…" She trailed off in a small voice.

Loki gulped, he had at many different times imagines himself and Althea in his bed, but it had not included her being upset, or crying, or them having clothes on, but still he could not refuse her. "Of course," He said, nodding, then slowly, awkwardly, climbing into the bed beside, her, laying with his arms at his sides stiffly.

He wasn't sure what to do now that he was in the bed beside her, but apparently she did, as she lifted his left arm and ducked underneath it, resting her head on his chest. Then with her other hand she pulled his left arm until it came to rest on her back, then she shifted her head further into his chest, "Thank you," She whispered to him, eyes closed.

"It's my pleasure," Was all Loki could say, watching her until exhaustion took hold and she fell asleep on his chest, in his bed, and still he did not look away from her face for the entire night, wanting to make sure she was really there. And as he watched her even breaths and finally peaceful looking face, he cherished the moment that he realized he might never see again. But tomorrow he would find a solution, and if not tomorrow, the next day. He would not stop until he found a way out of it for her.


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea :)_

_Thank you all so much for those reviews! I am so glad you all seem to be liking this story and I hope you all continue to do so! _

_Some of you have some theories but my lips are sealed until the story reveals it for me! _

* * *

Loki couldn't bring himself to wake her; to let her face the terrible truth of her new reality. After letting her sleep against him for five hours, he slowly pulled away and stood up from the bed, then gently set her head on the pillow. He was reluctant to leave, but he needed to start looking for an answer to their problem.

With a heavy heart, he summoned his magic, casting a spell that would cause Althea to sleep until he undid the enchantment; until he found the answer.

The spell was similar to the one he'd used on her once before, along with her sister Sif, the day he cut off all her hair. But this one was much more powerful. He didn't want to do this to her, but he couldn't bear to see that much pain on her face again when he still had no answers for her.

With those thoughts, he drew the thick curtains around his bed, shrouding her in darkness, and away from prying eyes. He set a hand on the curtains, then casted an illusion of his empty bed in its place should anyone come into his chamber. Slowly, he dropped his hand and walked away from the curtains to the doorway, his green cape billowing out behind him as he walked out.

* * *

A day later, and Loki had still not left the library. Luckily, he didn't need to stop to eat or rest as quickly as a mortal would. The perks of being an Asgaridan, he supposed, for there weren't many…

The entire time he'd been looking at book after book having to do with the laws of marriage in Asgard. Learning many things, but none that he needed. Loki did learn that once married, a couple was tied together for life, only separated when one of them died. Of course, they could grow apart, but they would always be married no matter what.

If Althea married her betrothed, it would be set for life and she would be lost to him forever. He considered just simply killing the man, but that would solve nothing, as her father would just betroth her to another. And he also didn't have the man's name, for if he did, he would have been dead already, Loki knew that for sure.

Once she was married, Althea could never leave her husband, and he was not going to let her die by any means. He himself would die first before that happened. She could not have a divorce, something the Midgardians had, but sadly Asgard did not. They did have annulment of marriages, but only on very rare occasions, and only for _very_ good reasons. Which had to be approved by the All-Father himself. Loki doubted Odin would do that for him, just because Loki loved her.

And another problem was Fenrir and Odin were good friends. Or they had been in their youth, before Odin became king. But Loki had no doubt Odin would take Fenrir's side in things.

"Loki!" Thor's booming voice called out to him, and Loki felt his anger flare at his brothers intrusion. He did not have time for Thor _now_ of all times.

But like he always did, he plastered a fake, yet real looking smile on his face then turned to face his blood, "Hello Thor, what an odd sight, seeing you in a library. Are you lost?" Loki asked him seriously, raising an eyebrow. "I could show you back to the door."

"Ha ha, brother, no I came here looking for you," Thor informed him sitting heavily on a chair.

"Oh?" Loki asked him, "And why is that?"

Thor sighed, running his hand over his face, scratching his beard and then set his hand on his lap, "It seems the lady Althea has gone missing. I came here to see if she was with you," Thor replied looking around the library. "Have you see her?" He asked turning back to Loki.

"Today? No, I can't say I have," Loki replied, speaking the truth, as he had not seen Althea today.

"Well if you do, let her know her family and others have been looking for her," Thor told him.

"And why are they so worried? It's only been a day, perhaps she stayed in the healing halls," Loki supplied, digging for more information.

"No, they've been checked, and the head healer says Althea never showed up today," Thor replied. "And apparently Althea had a fight with her father, and then Sif last night, they think she's run off," He continued shaking his head.

Loki pretended to have a look of concern on his face as he turned to Thor, "And do you know what this fight was about?" He asked, trying to figure out all that Thor knew.

"Does it matter?" Thor asked raising a brow. "I never asked, Sif just told me that they'd been in a fight, one so extensive Althea actually slapped Sif," Thor said to him.

Loki didn't even have to pretend as his face looked astonished, he'd never seen Althea be cruel to anyone, ever. Let alone her own sister, the last person he'd expect to be on the receiving end of Althea's anger.

"I know," Thor agreed, seeing the look on his brothers face. "I didn't believe it either, but the hand print across Sif's cheek is enough evidence for me."

"The only time Althea would ever hit someone, let alone her sister, was when she felt truly and utterly angry," Loki mused aloud, Thor just happening to be there.

But why had this made her so angry? What was so bad about being married? He understood the anger from his perspective; the woman he loved was to be married. But she didn't seem to have much to be angry about, besides not being able to choose whom it was… Yet, he couldn't help but feel there was something more, something she must have kept from him.

"Yes, well I don't know what made her so," Thor replied, though Loki wasn't really listening. "I'll be off now brother to continue searching, remember if you see her send her straight to her father," Thor said, before standing up and walking away from Loki.

As Thor left, Loki realized he had to find a way out of this faster than he first thought. He knew he would never stop searching, but Althea had to be seen sometime. She couldn't stay under the sleeping spell forever, and Loki didn't want her to.

And with that thought in mind, Loki left the library, and the hundreds of books he'd been reading through all scattered over the floor.

* * *

Loki had requested an audience with the All-Father, and had thankfully been granted one. It seemed the fates were on his side, he only hoped they stayed that way.

As the doors opened for him, Loki entered, then bowed at the steps leading to Odin's throne.

"Rise, my son," Odin's voice rang out through the hall.

Loki slowly did so, finally noticing Frigga standing to the side. He'd been so absorbed in his thoughts on the way in that he hadn't even noticed her.

"What brings you to me?" Odin asked staring down at him.

"Father, I request your assistance in a…personal matter…" Loki trailed off, standing up and staring straight at Odin.

"Go on..." Odin prompted him, gesturing slightly with his hand.

"It is about Althea Fenrirdottir," Loki explained, "I have been informed she's been betrothed," He continued.

"Fenrir's daughter? I see, and why is this a concern of yours?" Odin questioned him, leaning forwards slightly.

"She is my friend, and she does not wish to marry the man her father has chosen," Loki disclosed to him.

And to Loki's surprise, Odin started laughing, it only lasted a few moments, but he still did, before sobering and staring down at Loki. "You think she's the first woman to be in an arranged marriage?" Odin asked rhetorically, "Ha! She asks you to come here in her place for help?"

"No! She has no idea I am here," Loki replied, reigning in his anger.

Odin shook his head, "She will come to care for her husband. Your mother and I had an arranged marriage," Odin explained, looking over at Frigga. "The woman despised me at first, but she has come to love me, and I her," He admitted, giving his queen a soft look, receiving a small smile in return before looking back at Loki.

"It's true," Frigga agreed. "Maybe you could have her talk with me, poor girl has no mother isn't that right? I could explain things to her better than any nursemaid ever could, and she'll understand it's her duty to marry-"

"No!" Loki shouted interrupting her, "It's not!"

"Quiet boy! Don't speak to your mother that way!" Odin said to him, like he was speaking to a young child.

Loki calmed down, before turning to Firgga, "I apologize mother, but…" He shook his head.

"What concern is it of yours?" Odin asked him curiously.

Loki glared at the floor, knowing it wouldn't go over well to glare at Odin himself, "I…I love her," He confessed.

He heard his mother gasp, but he ignored her, focusing solely on Odin.

"And you wish to marry her?" The All-Father asked him.

"I…" Loki started, before faltering. Was that what he wanted? Did he want to marry her himself? But, he didn't even have to think about it much, to know that he did, he truly did. He couldn't see himself marrying any other but her, "I do, father. I would like to marry her, with your permission," He said staring up at his father.

"Oh! Loki!" Frigga gasped, smiling over at him happily.

"Preposterous! She's betrothed to another man! I can't go against Fenrir's wishes for his daughter," Odin replied, shaking his head.

"You can!" Loki argued, "You're the All-Father, his King!"

"Silence!" Odin commanded, "My decision is final, now leave us," He said looking to the door.

Loki's eyes narrowed, he knew it was a mistake coming here, but he'd tricked himself into hoping. Slowly, he nodded, then turned on his heel, exiting the room.

* * *

As the door banged shut signalling the exit of Loki, Frigga rushed to the bottom of Odin's' throne, "How can you be so cruel!" She yelled up at him.

"You know why!" Odin yelled back at her, before turning to the guards in the throne room, "Leave us!" He commanded them, knowing what they were about to speak about would be for their ears only.

The two of them waited until all guards had exited before Frigga spoke again, "Just because he is not truly our son, does not mean we have to treat him any different!" She told him, "We raised him as our own! His happiness should be as important to us as if he were truly ours!"

"But he is not ours! Not truly. We may have raised him Frigga, but he is not a true Asgardian. He is a frost giant, and it seems you keep forgetting," Odin replied staring down at her.

"And how can I not? Have you looked at him? Does he look like a frost giant to you?" Frigga asked rhetorically.

"He may look like us on the outside, but that doesn't change what he truly is," Odin said shaking his head, "Both of our sons' happiness, adopted or not, is important to me, but you must think of what happens after marriage…" Odin trailed off staring down at her hard, but she didn't seem to understand yet.

"Children! Children happen Frigga!" He told her. "And what happens when the child comes out of her womb, half frost giant? Loki will know what he truly is, Laufey's son, and there's no telling the girl would even survive the birth!" He said to her, watching her understand it, but still he continued. "And imagine the hurt Loki would go through, at the discovery, and if she survives, she will know as well, then look upon him with hatred. If he loves her as much as I do you, it would be devastating."

Slowly, Frigga nodded, knowing what he said was the sad truth.

* * *

Loki paced his chambers, thinking, and thinking hard. He had to find an answer, and he felt like he was on the verge of a discovery that would change everything! But what? He did not want Althea to be married! If she was, he would lose…his…chance…And then it hit him…If she was already married, then the betrothal contract would be void, and she would not have to marry a man she did not know.

What if she were to marry him instead?

Loki smiled at his brilliant idea, it would be beneficial to the both of them: he got to be with the woman he loved for the rest of his life, sheltering her from any unwanted advances. The only problem was that she would have to agree to marry him.

Quickly, he walked over to his bed, drawing open the curtains and revealing Althea sound asleep, at least not for much longer as he took the enchantment off of her, and waited for her to awaken.

But what if she said no? He wondered.

Would she say no? He didn't know what she would do, so he decided not to tell her of his plan until they were in the process, and then she could tell him whether she would or not.

He sat down in the brown chair in front of the fire-place, waiting for her to wake...

* * *

Loki heard Althea sigh, and then the blankets ruffling before she spoke in a tired voice, "Loki?" She questioned looking over at him as he stood up.

"Hello there," He replied giving her a small smile before dropping it as she slowly stood up from his bed, then stretched, before walking over to him.

"Thank you for letting me stay here," She told him smiling slightly, before looking sad, "I guess we should get started looking for a solution…" She trailed off.

"No need," Loki told her, "I've already found one…" He said, trailing off like she did.

"You did?" She asked, "But I only just went to…sleep?" She said tilting her head at him, giving him a searching look, and all he could do was shrug.

"You put a sleeping spell on me didn't you," She stated, not even questioning it, knowing she was right. "How long?" She asked him, furrowing her brow.

"Just a day," Loki eased her, she probably thought he'd kept her sleeping in his bed for a year, like he would do that. He preferred her when she was awake in his bed to be honest, not that she'd ever really been…

Slowly he walked towards her and took her hands in his, "Do you trust me?" He asked her.

She nodded, "Always," She promised.

"Then you must do as I say," Loki told her.

* * *

Loki and Althea rode a horse across the bifrost, invisible to any who searched for them, except for one. He pulled the reins and the horse came to a stop, just in front of Heimdall, the gate keeper. He dismounted, and then turned, helping Althea down, as she looked over at Heimdall with confusion on her face. Loki knew she would understand it all in time, but right now he had no time to explain.

"Good Heimdall," Loki started, but the God interrupted him.

"I know why you have come prince Loki," Heimdall said to him.

"So you'll do it?" Loki asked him eagerly.

"I'm afraid I am duty bound to your father and cannot go against his wishes," Heimdall replied slowly, sounding a little sad.

"You must, I will give you whatever you like," Loki said walking closer to him.

"You didn't let me finish," Heimdall replied. "I cannot help you, but I know someone who can," He said turning to look directly at Althea. "My sister, Hel, may help you," He said to them, and Althea's eyes widened in shock at the name.

Loki was also confused, he hadn't been aware Heimdall had a sister, let alone it was the Goddess of the Dead.

"I'm confused, help us with what?" Althea asked looking between the gods.

Slowly, Loki turned to her and set his hands on her shoulders before staring her right in the eyes, "Althea, my dear, we are going to marry."


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I just own Althea and any other OC's :)_

_Yeah, Sif is really not a good sister these days. And I think she is the most OOC out of everyone right now, but she will eventually merge into the Sif we see in the movies but I have quite a bit of time before then!_

_Anyways, thank you all for the reviews! And the faves and follows! :) _

* * *

"What?" Althea asked, in a small and shocked voice as she looked at Loki.

Had she just heard him right? Did he really say what she thought he did? Was she dreaming now? Still asleep and under Loki's enchantment in his chambers?

"You can't marry another if you're already married," Loki said to her smirking. "It's the perfect plan."

Althea gulped, "And if I say no to this plan?" She asked him timidly, and watched as his smirk fell.

"Do you oppose my plan?" Loki asked her, the grip on her shoulders tightening.

Althea couldn't hold his piercing gaze of green eyes, and looked down at the rainbow bridge underneath them,."…Are you sure?" She asked him, without looking up.

She felt his fingers tilt her chin up gently, until her face was level with his, so close she could feel his breath on her face. "I wouldn't ask if I was not sure," He told her with such sincerity that she could not deny him.

"Alright…" She whispered, agreeing to marry him.

"Heimdall, send us to Helheim," Loki said turning to the gatekeeper with a smile on his face.

Heimdall nodded before slowly walking inside the bifrost, coming to a stop at his platform, waiting for them. Althea watched Heimdall stand there, waiting for them patiently, and felt a jolt of fear go through her. From both the knowledge that she was going to marry Loki, and that she was about to journey to Helheim and meet Hel herself.

Loki held out his hand, and she took it, together walking to stand in front of Heimdall to stare out at the stars ahead of them.

"If your return here threatens Asgard and its people in any way, I will keep the bifrost closed to you," Heimdall said before slamming his sword down into the podium, starting up the bifrost.

Althea felt a tingling sensation all over her body, and squeezed Loki's hand tighter. What she saw was nothing like she pictured, a stream of light passed her by at a blinding speed of all sorts of colours, ones she didn't even have a name for. It was beautiful, exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time.

Then it was over, and she and Loki found themselves in a cave covered with white and blue ice, yet it wasn't cold to her, in fact it felt _warm_.

"Why isn't it cold?" She asked Loki, looking at all the ice around them. "We should be freezing."

"I do not know," Loki replied looking around them as well before walking forwards, not letting go of her hand, tugging her forwards.

She followed after him, looking around her, wondering if they would see any spirits of the dead. But maybe they had to be dead themselves to see them. And if that was the case, she didn't want to meet them any time soon.

She felt water soak through her shoes, but still did not feel the cold she thought she would have. The entire place was a dreary ice cave, not something beautiful and shimmering. In fact the ice had a dull look to it. The entire place just screamed miserable and dreary. It was no wonder all the souls of the dead who had spent their lives being lazy instead of pillaging and fighting or doing something, were sent here for the afterlife instead of Valhalla. But she also knew those who did not die in battle were also sent to Helheim, having not perished in a warrior's death.

_"…So, you've come to my realm young Goddess of Life…"_ Hel's voice slithered through her mind, the same as it had been the last time she'd spoken to her.

But now Althea was more aware of Hel's voice, and could concentrate on it solely. It was warm and cold, sweet and bitter, gentle and cruel, quiet and loud, young and old, everything about it seemed to be the opposite of the other, a strange mixture to hear. Something hard to even describe, without hearing it for yourself.

"Where are you?" She asked aloud into the cold realm, the only sound coming from her and Loki's breathing, as well as their steps.

Loki looked over at her, confusion on his face. Probably wondering who she was talking to.

A laugh followed, _"You will come upon me soon,"_ Hel replied in a soothing and aggravating voice.

Althea nodded, even though Hel could not see her. "Very well, I suppose we'll be meeting in person soon then," She replied, a little nervously. Both from meeting Hel, and that she would be marrying Loki. If Hel said she would...

_"…At last,"_ Was all Hel said to her, before her presence in Althea's mind retreated.

"Who are you speaking to?" Loki asked her as they continued walking.

"Hel," Althea replied simply, and Loki didn't look convinced she was speaking the truth.

"It's a long story," She waved him off, knowing it would be too difficult to explain now.

And then they came to a fork in the road, Loki starting to lead her right, but Althea pulled him back. "We should go left," She told him, feeling a pull to go in that direction.

"And how do you know that? Have you been here before?" Loki asked with a questioning look.

"No," Althea replied, "Have you?" She asked raising a brow.

"Well, no," Loki replied sounding reluctant to admit it.

"Then follow me," Althea said, giving him no time to argue before she pulled him down the left road.

She heard Loki sigh but follow her anyways with no argument.

* * *

Soon they entered a sanctum, the ceiling covered in shinning icicles, making the room look beautiful and elegant; so different from everything else they had seen before now. And in the middle of the room was a throne, and upon it sat Hel.

Althea couldn't help but stare at the women sitting on a throne before them. Her hair was pure white, matching her pale skin and golden eyes so similar to Heimdall's, and her lips a deep red colour. Althea didn't think she had seen anyone so beautiful before in her life, and felt instantly jealous of her beauty, a strange feeling. But that was only one half of Hel. It was like she was split down the middle, one side beautiful and flawless, while the other was a rotting mess of flesh and bone and dark black stringy hair.

Her voice made sense now, the total opposite sounds were exactly what she was: an opposite of her own body. She knew Hel was an Asgardian, but Odin had sent her to rule Helheim, making her Goddess of the Dead, and she never knew why she had been sent their until now.

Asgard was known for having beautiful and handsome people, it was just a way of life. She could only imagine the shunning Hel had endured for her entire life before coming to Helheim. So like the shunning Loki and she had endured because of their magic, Althea instantly felt sympathy for the queen of Helheim. If she had to guess, that would be the reason Odin had given her this realm in an act of mercy, but she could be wrong, though Althea doubted it.

"…Welcome," Hel called out to them, smiling and frowning at the same time.

"Hello," Althea replied tentatively.

So this was her. The woman she'd analyzed in her mind over and over, trying to see if Hel had given her anymore clues to what the consequences of saving that boy could be. Yet the Queen seemed to speak in riddles in Althea's opinion, one's she could not decipher.

"Come closer," Hel said gesturing with her rotting and bony hand. Althea was afraid the flesh may fall from the movement, but it did not.

Slowly she and Loki walked closer to her, standing about ten feet away from her throne.

Althea dropped down into a bow, Loki doing the same, before they stood straight again and stared at her, though Hel seemed completely unaffected by their staring, probably used to it by now.

"...I take it I look nothing like you expected, do I?" She said looking at Althea, and seeming to ignore Loki.

Althea swallowed thickly, what could she say to that? But she wanted to be truthful with Hel, there was no sense in lying to her, "That's correct, though I wasn't truly sure what you might look like," She said to her.

"…Hmmm," Hel acknowledged nodding to them.

"Beautiful Hel, we have come here seeking your help," Loki explained, complementing her while he started stepping forwards.

Slowly, eerily, Hel turned her head to stare at him, tilting her head. "I know what it is you seek, and I can help you," She said to them.

"Thank you," Althea said smiling at her in relief.

But still, it didn't feel right to just marry Loki to get out of her betrothal. She did love him yes, but he did not love her. How was that fair to him? Althea knew he was only doing this because he was her friend, but even friendship only went so far...

"For a price," Hel continued, and Althea's smile dropped. "…Hmmm," Hel drawled looking at her, "What can you offer me?" She asked Althea, walking around her

"We didn't bring anything with us here…Is there something you want?" Althea asked her hopefully, and fearfully wondering exactly what it was Hel could want from her.

Hel looked away from them and out into the deserted hall, looking like she was contemplating something, and Althea and Loki waited while she did.

Then finally she turned back to them, "On a time of my choosing, at any place, and anywhere, I want a favor...from you," Hel said pointing at Althea.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Loki taking a step forward and opening his mouth to disagree but before he could, Althea spoke, knowing it was her only chance to accept, "Deal," She said to Hel.

Hel smirked, before walking right up to Althea, and with her beautiful hand touched her face. "Good choice," She whispered to her, so low Althea wasn't sure Loki had even heard her.

She had no time to think on it, as she suddenly felt something jolt through her, causing her to feel faint, but she kept herself standing, closing her eyes for a moment, then opening them again. What had she done? She was a complete and utter idiot, but how could she have said no to Hel? But what other choice had she? Loki would have put a stop to her agreeing, but he was already doing so much for her. She couldn't let him do anything more.

Besides, it was only _a favor_; Hel couldn't want anything too bad could she?

As Hel walked away from her, the feeling passed as well, but Althea had no doubt what Hel did had something to do with the deal she'd made.

Loki came to stand beside Althea, gripping her arm tightly. "What have you done?" He asked her in a harsh whisper.

"I made a deal!" She replied, not bothering to whisper, shaking her arm free from his grasp.

"Yes, with the devil herself!" Loki said to her angrily.

Althea scoffed looking away from him. "She would not help us otherwise…" She told him shaking her head.

"I would have offered something else to her," Loki hissed.

"We have nothing else to give that she would want," Althea said knowingly. "She planned this," She informed him, trying to get him to see.

But something was going on with Loki, making him miss things around him, distracting him. It was so unlike him that she was beginning to worry.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a white circle of light was put around her and Loki. "Let the ceremony begin," Hel said smiling and frowning at them.

Althea couldn't go through with this, what would happen when they returned to Asgard? And Loki, she couldn't marry him without telling him of her feelings, even if he did reject her, it was better than keeping this lie up for any longer.

"Please, wait a moment," Althea said to Hel timidly, before looking back at Loki and gripping his hand.

"What is it?" Loki asked, and she detected a hint of…fear? In his voice.

"Loki," Althea started. "You have been my friend for so long, and have helped me through so much… I just don't think you understand what you're doing. Marriage is for life, until one of us dies!" She told him, she didn't doubt that he already knew it. "I can't take this away from you… what if you meet a woman, and you…love her?" She asked him, even though it was painful to even think of him with another woman. "You'll never be able to marry her if you're married to me," Althea said shaking her head, tears filling her eyes.

"I don't want any other woman," Loki admitted to her, but all she did was shake her head.

"You say that now, but when the time comes, you'll resent me for this…" Althea trailed off, before continuing. "We can leave now, it's not right to marry someone you don't love. That's why I don't want to marry the man my father has chosen for me!" She explained tears falling freely now.

"Does that mean you don't love me?" Loki asked her in an emotionless voice.

Althea couldn't lie to him any longer. She wanted him to know the truth, even if he rejected her. "You don't understand," She told him, "You're so good at reading everything but what's in front of you," Shaking her head with a laugh, "I…I've loved you Loki, more than a friend for over 500 years! And I kept it secret because after the kiss, you wanted to forget it and-" But she was cut off, with Loki's lips crashing into hers in a blissful and rough kiss, stealing her voice and breath away from her.

She didn't want the feeling to end, but then Loki drew back and looked at her, "I love you," He said to her.

"What?" She questioned him blinking.

"I love you," Loki repeated a wide smile on his face. "And you love me?" He asked her, like he couldn't believe it.

"You do?" She asked him smiling, "I do," She replied nodding furiously.

"I do," Loki replied, before kissing her again.

"Ahem!" Hel's voice called out breaking them apart, and receiving a glare from Loki, but she only wagged a finger at them. "No kissing until after the ceremony," She told them.

But all the two of them did was roll their eyes at her, but they complied, even though both of them could care less.

"Now join hands," Hel instructed them, and they did as she asked, "In this sacred circle of light, we gather in perfect love and perfect trust. Oh Goddess of Love, I ask thee to bless this couple. Their love, and their marriage, for as long as they shall live, in love together. May they each enjoy a healthy life filled with joy, love, stability, and fertility," Hel spoke in a voice filled with power, before she pulled out a gold chord, then began to wrap it around their hands, tying knots as she went and continued speaking. "By the knots in this chord, your love is united," And as she spoke, the white circle of light that surrounded them flared and enclosed them, if only for a second, but Althea felt it was full of power and strength. "By the power of the Goddess, and her horned consort, I now pronounce thee husband and wife for as long as you both shall live together," Hel finished, and as she did, Althea felt like a small piece of herself left her, and traveled through the knot and into Loki, while at the same time felt something else takes it's place, something that felt like Loki's spirit to her.

"You may kiss the bride," Hel exclaimed smiling and frowning at them, and Loki didn't need to be told twice as he kissed Althea tenderly and full of love and devotion, sealing their marriage, and their fate, forever.

And this time, Hel could give no objections.

* * *

Later, Althea was walking around Helheim with Loki, speaking of what would happen once they returned to Asgard. And unfortunately they would have to.

"I'm afraid of what my father will do, once he finds out," Althea said to him as they walked hand in hand.

"He can't do anything to you now. I have taken his place as the dictator of your life as your husband; he no longer has any say," Loki replied squeezing her hand.

Althea smiled slightly at him. "I know that, but we can't underestimate him," She told him shaking her head.

"And we won't," Loki said, shaking his head. "But I think it's time we returned and faced them..." He told her and when she nodded, he looked up to ceiling. "When you're ready Heimdall," He said and a surge of light came down and enveloped them.

But when it was gone, Loki was back on Asgard, but Althea was still on Helheim.

Althea felt true fear go through her. She was _alone_, in Helheim, the realm of half the dead, without Loki.

"Hel!" She screamed turning around in circles, before taking off towards the throne room to find the goddess sitting at her throne nonchalantly.

"Why am I still here?" Althea running over to her.

"I thought we should have a little chat, you know without the prying ears and eyes of your new husband," Hel smirked and frowned at her.

"About?" Althea asked her.

"Consequences...and favors," Hel replied, before she clapped her hands, the sound echoing around the hall. "You better stand here dear," Hel said pointing at a spot on her left, and Althea didn't argue, doing as she said.

"Is this my favor? Staying here with you?" Althea asked looking ahead at the hall.

"Oh no, you were only just married! I couldn't pull you away from your husband so soon...but who knows when I will call on you? Maybe an hour? A day? A year? What about a hundred years? Or a thousand? You will have no way of knowing when," Hel replied with laughter and sorrow in her voice.

"Why can't you tell me when now?" Althea asked her, slightly angry.

"Do you really want that?" Hell asked in a serious and playful tone, "Living your life in fear, dreading each day as the day I call on you drew closer, such fun!" She exclaimed, before growing completely serious, the emotion overtaking the playfulness fully, "No, live your life young Goddess, cherish each moment and continue on like you don't owe me anything..." Hel trailed off before looking up, "And here they come!" She said smiling and frowning, the playfulness returning.

"Who?" Althea asked in fear and confusion.

"Well this week's souls of the dead of course, I want you to meet them," Hel said looking down at her, then looking away as the doors opened.

Althea watched as translucent beings walked through the doors of the halls. They were of all kinds of people in the group: Asgardians, frost giants, Vanaheims, all the people she had ever learned about were in the group. None seemed bothered at all by who was there, as they were all shivering from cold. Even the frost giants, who lived in a frozen world were shivering. But Althea felt nothing but warmth.

"Why are they shivering?" She couldn't resist asking Hel.

Hel raised an eyebrow, "Have you looked around?" She asked gesturing to the ice walls.

"But I'm not cold," Althea told her confusingly.

"Because I made it so, but if you'd like to join them..." And as Hel spoke, Althea felt like her entire body was frozen, so much that it actually hurt to breathe. She felt like death was only a moment away from overtaking her. And just as she was ready to sink to her knees Hel spoke, "No? Alright then," Hel said and Althea felt the warmth instantly return to her.

"That way," Hel said pointing a finger in the direction of a doorway, while looking at the group assembled before them.

They cried out, but did exactly as she said, slowly walking towards the dark doorway. But Althea could tell none of them wanted to go there, but still they continued moving like some unseen force was pulling them there.

"How do you know where to send them?" She asked looking over at Hel.

"Everyone in this group is headed to the darkest pits of Helheim," She replied looking at them. "They are all murderers, sinners, those who don't deserve a happy afterlife, and I know who they are because I am the queen of the underworld, what more of an explanation could you want?"

Althea shook her head, wondering why she even bothered to ask Hel for an answer, like she would get one. "Can they ever redeem themselves?" Althea asked in sorrow, watching as the last of the souls entered the door before it closed.

"Once one enters Helheim, living or dead they may never leave here, except for myself, or if I say so," Hel explained, though not really answering the question, but causing Althea to look over at her fearfully.

"Then why could Loki leave? And I cannot?" She asked.

"You're only at the gates of Helheim," She replied, before pointing around the room, where doors appeared "If you were to enter any of those rooms whether you were dead or living you could never leave here."

"Never?" Althea asked, turning to her.

Hel scoffed, "Did you not just hear a word I said?"

"I apologize, it's just hard to wrap my head around," Althea replied looking away from her, embarrassed.

"I suppose," Hel agreed in a bored voice.

"Is this all you have to tell me then? Can I leave now?" Althea asked her hopefully.

"Hmmm," Hel replied, "Actions have consequences. When you saved that boy's soul from entering here, it set in motion the course you will take in life and your ending fate," She said cryptically, and Althea could not understand what she meant, "Very well, I can see you are not ready to understand, if you_ ever_ are," Hel told her shaking her head, then calling out. "Heimdall!"

Althea wanted to speak with Hel more, knowing it would be awhile before she had a chance to again. However, before she could a bright light appeared around her, sucking her up and before she knew it she was looking at the familiar flooring of the bifrost, on her hands and knees. But not for long, as two familiar arms lifted her up from the ground, and the green eyes she loved so much were staring into hers, "Althea? Are you alright? Did she harm you?"

Althea shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine, Loki," She replied calmly, at least psychically, she added in her mind.

What Hel had said worried her... But she would have to analyze it later, she decided, they had bigger problems to face now…


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to! I only own my OC Althea! :)_

_Thanks so much for the reviews! I love getting those so you guys are amazing! And also thank you all for the favorites/follows! _

* * *

Loki was pacing the bifrost in front of Heimdall. He'd arrived perfectly fine, but without Althea. One minute she'd been by his side in Helheim and as he returned to Asgard, she stayed behind.

"Where is she Heimdall?!" He yelled facing the gatekeeper. He would know, he _was_ all-seeing after all.

"She is speaking with my sister…" Heimdall replied to him calmly, before he walked up to his podium and slammed his sword down, activating the bifrost.

Loki waited, and as the bright light disappeared from the bifrost he ran over to Althea quickly, picking her up from where she sat on her hands and knees, "Althea? Are you all right? Did she harm you?" He asked her, gently pulling her up from the ground, barely containing the anger he had at Hel.

Althea shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine, Loki," She replied to him in a calm voice, smiling slightly.

He sighed in relief, before pulling her into his arms, thankful he was actually touching her, seeing her again.

"You need to come with us," A rough voice said and the two of them looked up, seeing five Asgardian guards dressed in golden armor in the doorway of the bifrost, "The king requests your presence," The leader informed them.

Loki looked away from them, and took Althea's hand before leading her towards the guards who surrounded them as they walked towards the throne room.

* * *

Frigga was worried for her son, and as Odin stood in front of her looking deep in thought after a messenger had come and gone, she was even more worried for him.

"Heimdall has alerted me that Loki and the girl have married," He finally explained turning towards her.

Frigga couldn't deny that she was happy her son had disobeyed her husband and gone ahead and married the girl. Just because he was a frost giant didn't mean he didn't deserve to be happy. She raised him like he was a true Asgardian, and in her mind he really was. But she was afraid of what Odin would do to them because of it.

"What will you do?" She asked him worriedly.

"Don't look so worried," He replied. "I have a contingency plan, but I'll need your help to carry it out," He said turning to her.

Before she could reply, a guard came inside the room."We've found them your majesties," He said, bowing.

Odin nodded, and the guard left, the two rulers of Asgard following close behind.

* * *

Loki looked around the throne room as they entered, seeing only four people waiting for them: Odin, Frigga, Sif and Althea's father, Fenrir. He took a moment to study each one of them. Odin was looking neutral, Frigga happy and sad, Sif was glaring at him, and Fenrir was also looking quite angry. He couldn't wait to see his reaction when he found out he and Althea had married, destroying his _precious_ marriage contract.

He watched as Sif moved forwards to embrace Althea, but she shifted and turned her body into his so Sif could not touch her. He couldn't help but feel satisfaction in the way Sif's face fell in disappointment and sadness before she masked her face and walked back to stand beside Fenrir.

Loki then turned his attention to said man, seeing him watching Sif before looking directly at Althea and lifting his chin to seem more intimidating.

"Where have you been?" He asked her with anger in his voice. But, before his dear Althea could even answer Fenrir continued speaking, "Know this, you'll never be doing it again on my command, and then on your husband's command when you're married!" He shouted at her.

Loki kept his face impassive, but glanced down at Althea with his eyes to see her trying, and failing to hide a smirk at her father's words. He was _clearly_ the better actor. Loki schooled his face to look saddened by the news and looked over at Fenrir, "Does that mean her husband will define all of Althea's life?" He asked him, fake concern in his voice.

Fenrir looked smug as he answered, "Yes," He said happily, and a hint of a smirk appeared on his face.

Loki let his whole demeanour shift, from one of sadness and concern into his own form of smugness and gloating. "Well as her husband, I dictate that she do as she pleases," He told the man, whose smirk instantly fell and he seemed to be in a state of shock and confusion, taking a moment to comprehend what Loki just told him.

It seemed Sif was not the same, understanding what he'd said right away as she stepped forward some to look at Althea pleadingly. "Please sister, tell me you did not marry the God of Mischief!"

Althea gave her sister a sad and soft look. "But I did Sif, it's permanent, and no matter what you say or do I shall not regret it," She explained to her, not a hint of anger in her voice.

"It can't be!" Fenrir's loud voice called out to them. "None on Asgard would have done this for you!"

"Who says we married on Asgard?" Althea replied. "We gave Hel a visit, and she did it for us," She explained to him smiling, not even her family's anger destroying her happiness.

"Hel?!" Fenrir practically screeched, his face going red. "You went to the Queen of the Underworld for help!?" He shouted at her, seeming to only be focusing on Althea and ignoring Loki, at least for the moment.

Althea nodded in reply, seeming unaffected by her father's anger, taking steps towards him and away from Loki. "We did."

Fenrir looked even more shocked and stunned if it were possible, turning his face to look at the beautiful floors of the throne room. "You have no idea what you've done," He said to her calmly, before looking back up at her, the fury returning as his eyes blazed. "What did she want?" He asked her in a calm anger.

Althea sighed before answering. "She wanted a favor from me, that is all."

As Fenrir answered, he took steps towards his daughter. "You foolish girl! You've disobeyed me! Deceived me! Made a fool of me! Married a liar!" He screamed, and without a thought slapped her across the face, sending her falling to the floor in shock as she had not been expecting him to hit her so hard, or hit her at all.

All Loki could see was red the second Althea hit the floor with a gasp, and it was all focused solely on Fenrir, who looked shocked and regretful at what he'd just done. But Loki cared for none of that, and took steps towards the man attacking his wife, his magic flaring around him before flying in a green glow straight for Fenrir, hitting him square in the chest and sending him sprawling on the ground. Still that was not enough for Loki, he wanted him dead, he wanted him begging for mercy on the floor and even then Loki would draw out his pain, and slowly torture him with his magic and-

"Enough!" Odin's deafening voice echoed in the hall, accompanied by him banging his staff down, adding to the noise.

It startled Loki enough out of his rage that he could stop, and just in time as Althea grabbed onto him turning him away from her father before he could kill him.

"I am disappointed in you," Odin told him, but Loki could care less what he thought, what else was new? "And I am happy you found love," Odin added, shocking Loki, and having him take a few moments to register what he said.

"…Thank you, father," Loki replied, thanking his father for the first time since he was a boy, but he knew this was the only time he would be thanking Odin.

The All-Father nodded, then spoke again. "You're all dismissed," He told them, waving with his hand towards the door.

Fenrir looked like he was going to argue, before thinking better of it and straightening his tunic, turned to Sif, gesturing with his head only for her to follow him out of the throne room. And as Sif did, she gave Althea a regretful look, but followed their father anyways, taking his side, which was clear to all.

Loki took Althea's hand in his and they tuned to leave the throne room, when Frigga's voice called out to them. "Wait," She said in a regal voice, and Loki and Althea turned towards her. "I would like to get to know my son's wife," She told them. "Please join me for a meal, Althea, is it?" She asked and when Althea nodded she smiled and continued. "I will send for you soon then," She told them and Althea smiled at her.

"I look forward to it," Althea said to Frigga before she and Loki left the throne room.

* * *

Well, it could have been worse, Loki decided as he and Althea walked arm in arm away from the throne room. He didn't kill her father, so that _was_ a plus, though he didn't like that man, and he would not pretend to do so. Even for Althea's sake, but in his opinion it was better than pretending that he did, which in itself would be a challenge. Yet Odin's cooperativeness worried him. He was not so foolish to believe that Odin would just let it go that Loki had disobeyed his word. There was nothing he could do to end their marriage, what was done was done. But, he didn't think Odin was as stupid as his brother, like Thor, and though he would never admit it to anyone Loki actually admired the man...

Eventually he led them to his chambers, opening the door and letting her walk inside first, before he walked in after her, then shut the door, and locked it. As he turned around to face her, she grabbed his face between her hands and started kissing him timidly, but he could tell she was slowly growing more confident so Loki let her explore.

But Loki could only hold himself back for so long, and he took control over the kiss. Althea let him do so without a fight, submitting to his dominant lips, accepting him to her. Her hands ran down his neck before traveling inside his tunic and cloak, her warm fingers sending chills up his spine.

Loki started kissing her jaw line, and then down her throat as his hands pulled her body close against his. As he continued kissing down her neck, her head tilted back and a sigh left her lips. Her head straightened and she reclaimed his lips with hers before pulling back to stare at him.

"I love you so very much, Loki," She told him her eyes full of love and devotion.

"I love you more than you could ever love me," He said trying to out do her, and not letting her reply as he kissed her, capturing her reply.

He felt her hands go under just his cloak this time, before she eased it off his person. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked her in a throaty whisper.

"What do you think I'm doing?" She whispered in his ear, before kissing his cheek and creating a trail down his neck. Then, used her hands to push away his tunic so she could kiss his shoulder.

All Loki could do was stand there and let her pleasure him. He became hyper-aware of everything that was her, and the rest of the room became non-existent. As her lips traced his collarbone, it felt like they were on fire and she was shocking him with her magic.

But Loki couldn't take it anymore, and grabbed her by the arms, lifting her over to the bed and setting her down before he lowered his torso to follow her down. The moment her head hit the pillow, her hands reached up to his shoulders resting against the muscle that lay there.

He kissed her again, this time more roughly and aggressive, Althea keeping up with him easily. He expected no less from her, but Loki himself was not a virgin, he'd been curious as to what all the fuss was about hearing enough from Thor. And went off to discover for himself, ending up at one of the brothels in the lower town. The inhabitants had been all too happy to cater to a prince of Asgard. But Althea, he knew was still pure in that area, but she pleasantly surprised him with her forwardness.

As they kissed, she pushed on his shoulders, causing him to lean back and she went with him, before breaking their lips apart, kissing him again, and then tugging at the hem of her dress, but Loki's hands stopped her from moving any further.

"Are you absolutely sure?" He couldn't resist asking her.

As an answer, she nodded, her lustful eyes never leaving his, and that was all of an answer Loki needed.

* * *

The next day, Althea was walking through the halls of the palace, smiling pleasantly at those she saw as she walked. But all the while she was thinking of the previous days, and nights activities. She knew from her healing courses that an Asgardian body had a great amount of stamina; she just never knew until now exactly _how_ much they had.

Loki had been the perfect lover; he had a variety of personalities within him while they were in his chambers. He could be tender and gentle, playful and teasing, and rough and aggressive. She was not complaining in anyway.

"Althea!" Sif's voice stilled her movements, and she turned to see her sister walking quickly walking over to her.

Sif came to a stop in front of her, putting a hand on her arm for a moment before dropping it back to her side. "I wanted to see how you were," Sif explained.

"I'm well," Althea answered awkwardly.

She was unsure how to act around Sif now. Before they'd been inseparable, ever since the moment they were born, and being a part from her, being so distant just felt wrong. But she couldn't just let go what her sister had done to her.

"Good," Sif replied nodding, as well as smiling at her, before it dropped. "I want to apologize, for the way I acted..."

Althea felt joy fill her being at what Sif said, finally they could be sisters again, and put behind them this unfortunate disagreement. But she decided to pretend to be impassive, so all Althea did was nod, "Have you come to accept that Loki and I are together?" She asked hopefully.

Sif lowered her eyes before reluctantly speaking, "No," She said. "I meant not telling you of your impending betrothal. It was wrong of me, but I believed it was the right choice, and still do considering how you've reacted to it," She remarked, a hint of annoyance and enmity in her voice.

Althea scoffed; of course Sif had not accepted her and Loki, she should have known. After all, they did share the same stubbornness, and it would be awhile before Sif backed down, as Althea would never, no matter what happened or what Sif said.

"To make up for my past indiscretions I am here to inform you that father and I are going to the All-Father, to ask that he annul the marriage between you and Loki," She informed her.

Althea laughed, "On what grounds?" She asked her, raising an eyebrow. Sif went to reply, but it seemed she didn't have an answer, so Althea continued. "Exactly! You and father have nothing, can do nothing. Give up now before you tire yourself out looking for a solution that isn't there," She said, before walking away from Sif before she could say anything more.

But Althea was truly more upset than she let on. How could Sif still not accept that she and Loki were married? How could their father not either? There was nothing they could do now, it was final and nothing could destroy it besides the All-Father, but she had seen and heard for herself the king accepting the marriage. If he didn't he would have declared it void the second they walked into that throne room!

She'd heard once Odin made a decision, he kept to it. And that gave her confidence knowing nothing her father or Sif could say to him would change his mind. And truly, there was nothing for them to tell him. All Althea wanted was for Sif and her father to accept whom she loved… And she wanted her father to accept the fact that she had magic, and it wasn't going anywhere. Without it, she wasn't herself. It was a part of her for life. Yet what she got, and what she wanted, were two different things. Something that was becoming painfully clear to her now.

* * *

Fenrir had waited an extra day before coming to deliver the news to Althea's betrothed, or ex-betrothed now. But he'd needed the day to comprehend it himself; he still could not believe what his daughter had done. His loyal beautiful, loving daughter, who reminded him so much of his late wife, had disobeyed his word.

That was not the daughter he raised. No, it was that prince's fault. Teaching her magic that should not have been touched and corrupting her light spirit with his, one only filled with darkness. He'd always had an uneasy feeling around him, like something just wasn't right. Why couldn't anyone else see it?

But his thoughts were interrupted as he realized he was at the right home. Slowly he walked towards the door, then knocked on it three times. He could feel himself sweating, before he told himself to calm down and appear confident and collected. It was just in time, it turns out, as the doorway opened.

"Fenrir, what brings you here?" The man with dark hair and eyes asked him curiously.

"I have bad news, Eirik."

* * *

_Is Odin_ really _happy for them..? _


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :) _

_Thank you all for the reviews! I am so glad you all seem to be loving this story and much as I am loving writing it! And thank you also for favoriting/following and reading! :) _

* * *

Inside Eirik's home, Fenrir sat with Eirik at his dining table, each with a cup of ale in their hands. Fenrir had just finished explaining all that had occurred in the last three days and Eirik had been in quiet contemplation ever since. So Fenrir took this time to study the man in front of him. He had dark brown hair and eyes, was of a strong build (Like most men on Asgard) and looked to be in perfect health. A perfect match for his youngest daughter. Why couldn't she have seen that?

Fenrir blamed himself in a way, for his daughter marrying the youngest prince. If only he had just introduced Althea to Eirik when hed informed her of her impending nuptials. They were friends after all, according to Eirik, and then Sif who'd seen Althea walking around with him. He was looking for a match for his daughter, a good one, and when Eirik had come seeking Althea's hand, Fenrir found no reason to refuse the man. He clearly loved his daughter, would take care of her, and was of high status, as well as had a sufficient sum of money.

The man had not even wanted a dowry, saying Althea's hand was enough of a prize for him. Fenrir could not argue with that, his daughter was something…special. But not because of the magic she had, the one thing he wholly disliked about his daughter, and often pretended she did not have. Eirik seemed to have no problem with her using magic, but if Fenrir had his way, Eirik would forbid Althea from ever using it again. And Eirik seemed like someone he could manipulate into doing what Fenrir wanted of him.

He was so in love with his daughter, if he didn't raise her himself, he'd of thought Althea had put an enchantment on him. Now he wondered if the prince had done so to his daughter, but in the back of his head he knew it was not so. He could see the look in Althea's eyes when she looked at the prince; the same his wife had given him. Almost an exact replica, Althea and Sif both had her eyes after all.

This was when he so wished his son had lived, things would be so much easier with a son, wouldn't they? He wouldn't have to worry about securing his future with a family and good wife, no father's would be coming to him proposing contracts of marriage for their children, or to Stigandr himself. Yet, the fates had other plans for his son and wife, causing them to pass and leave him alone in the world with two daughters, daughters he loved very much. But why couldn't Althea have been like Sif? A woman warrior, almost like a son, strong, and obedient.

His pride was hurt, when his daughter chose the prince over her own father. She'd married a prince, a royal, the son of Odin! And he would be lying if he didn't say he wished Thor and Sif would one day marry. Then his other daughter would one day be queen. But Fenrir would not allow that until Thor matured. That prince was too full of himself and too much of a womanizer to be worthy of his Sif just yet.

"So she is married," Eirik said in an eerie voice void of all emotion.

And so he speaks, Fenrir thought to himself as he nodded.

"And to Loki himself," Eirik concluded, his voice now full of one single emotion: hate.

"Why do you say his name with such malice?" Fenrir asked him, it was more than just Loki being married to Althea.

"Let's just say, once long ago, Loki wronged me," Eirik replied glaring at the table.

"How so?" Fenrir asked him, pushing him to go on.

The glass Eirik was holding shattered in his hand as he gripped it so tight, but the man didn't seem to notice. "He broke my spine, with his magic," He explained shortly. "And I was not allowed retribution for he is the son of Odin."

"How long ago was this?" Fenrir asked leaning closer to him in curiosity.

"Eight hundred and fifty years now," Eirik replied with such surety Fenrir did not doubt he'd been counting.

"Surely you haven't held a grudge all this time?" He asked the angry man.

"But I have," Eirik replied, smiling over at Fenrir.

He was momentarily shocked by that smile, as it seemed to be filled with hate, anger, fury, and…madness. But Fenrir ignored all those things, he'd be angry as well if someone broke his spine and didn't pay for it. "It seems we both share in a dislike for the prince and a love for my daughter."

"Indeed we do," Eirik replied, the smiling dropping as he nodded, but he looked once again deep in thought.

"What do you plan to do about it?" Fenrir asked him.

"I know not, yet, I will begin tomorrow," Eirik replied, a gleam in his eyes.

* * *

Frigga was sitting at her table the next morning, waiting for her handmaiden to return with Althea. She took a sip of her tea, then sit her tea cup down as it was shaking from the force of her hands. And as she let go they continued to shake even then, so she put them down on her lap, gripping on to the other in an effort to calm them down.

What Odin asked of her to do was monstrous, horrifying, and so very sad. But she knew that it was for the best in the end. Even realizing that did not give her the confidence she needed to go through with it. Though she was slowly working up to it, and the liquid in the bottom of the cup intended for Althea was the subject of her glaring.

Maybe she could bump the table enough, and the cup would fall to the floor…but she remained completely still, staring at the beautifully crafted teacup. Frigga knew she would have to leave it be, and let it do what it was intended for. It was tasteless, colourless, and odorless. Apparently the girl wouldn't even know it was happening, that anything was wrong, and that's when Frigga felt her heart constrict, imagining what she would feel if in the girl's place.

The doors opened, and her handmaiden entered followed by Loki's wife. Frigga had seen her a few times, but never had a chance to really study her until now. She had a gentle and calming atmosphere about her, that even Frigga felt from her chair. It was like the girl's presence had calmed her down, so much that her hands completely stopped shaking.

Yes, she was a fine match for her son. She knew Loki had such anger inside of him, so carefully hidden, but you could never hide anything from your mother. And though she and Loki were not blood related, Frigga had raised him, and really was his mother. Althea held herself in a tall and dignified posture, not too hard, not too soft, perfect for a royal lady. Her long golden hair was in a half up half down style and she wore a beautiful purple gown, but her eyes shone a deep blue filled with shyness and wonder as she looked around the room.

But as the girl came to stand before Frigga, she curtsied. "Thank you for inviting me to tea, my Queen," She said, using formal words that Frigga felt she didn't deserve from the innocent being before her.

But she gave none of that away, instead smiling at the girl as she stood. "Please call me Frigga, we're family now, no need for the formalities," She said taking the girls hand and smiling at her.

It was like Frigga was punishing herself by being kind to the girl, not that she would be mean, it simply wasn't in her nature. But watching the trust in the girl's eyes was destroying her on the inside so much so that she had to look away. "Tea?" She asked gesturing to the chair opposite hers.

"I would love some," Althea replied taking the seat Frigga directed her to.

Frigga raised her hand and waved, calling over another handmaiden of hers to pour the tea, first she refilled Frigga's. "My Queen," She said, as she did so curtsying, before Frigga watched her handmaiden walk over to Althea's side of the table. It was like she was watching it happen slowly, but it was the normal pace of life. Frigga was just hyper-aware as the handmaiden filled Althea's teacup, curtsied. "My Princess," And then set the teapot down before walking away.

Frigga picked up her cup from the table, fighting to keep her hands steady as she lifted it to her lips, drinking a small amount (she didn't think she could stomach more) all the while watching as Althea went to pick hers up, but then paused before she did so. Frigga almost rejoiced, maybe the fates had other plans for the girl and she wouldn't drink it but instead she spoke. "Pardon me…Frigga…" She started, testing out her name, "But why did she call me Princess?" She asked.

Frigga found it within herself to smile, years and years of practice aided her in that moment. "Because you are one dear, now that you've married into my household and are the wife of a prince, you automatically become a princess," She explained, smiling slightly.

Althea nodded slowly, before smiling shyly. "I just haven't thought of Loki as the prince in so long. I tend to forget that about him," She explained, lifting the tea cup to her lips again.

"Sugar?" Frigga asked gesturing to the small bowl on the table, filled to the brim with white powder. She had to delay her a little longer, once she drank from that cup it was all over, it would be done and there would be no turning back. Frigga would have to live with the guilt for the rest of her years; she didn't know how Odin could stand it. But he had commanded this of her, she'd been appalled when learning of his plan and outright refused but he was making her do this, trying to get her to see it was the only way.

And it was, Frigga realized regretfully as Althea answered her. "Oh, no thank you," She said politely before she brought the cup to her lips and drank.

One sip was all that was needed for it to start working, Frigga vaguely remembered Odin telling her as he held up the small vial the liquid had been in. That Frigga had put in the bottom of that white teacup not even half an hour ago. And one sip was what Althea had just had, and then another, and then another, before she set her tea cup down and looked up at Frigga, before her eyes widened in surprise, and Frigga couldn't figure out why. Oh dear gods, did she know? Had she figured it out? She was the Goddess of Life was she not, she must have felt something, and as she opened her mouth, Frigga prepared herself for the accusations she'd have to deny. "My Queen, why are you crying?"

Frigga took a moment for the girl's words to sink in, and as she did so she could feel the trails of salty water rolling down her cheeks silently. She was crying she realized, crying over the loss that was happening before her very eyes. Yet, Frigga smiled through her tears. "Tears of joy," She lied. "I'm just so happy Loki has found you, that you've found each other," She said, and that was a truthful statement.

Althea smiled, "I'm happy we've found each other as well," She replied, before Frigga watched as she took another sip from her cup of tea.

She couldn't even look at it anymore, what was done was done. There was nothing she could do now, no changing the past or going back, it was already happening.

Yet Frigga could not believe what she'd done.

She'd taken away the greatest joy a woman could know, at least in her opinion. She'd only done it once, and the pain was of course worth it in the end. But she'd taken away Althea's ability to conceive a child, to give Frigga a grandson or daughter that she could shower in lavish gifts. Her ability to be a great mother, and Loki, a father.

No, that would never happen now. All because Odin was afraid, and ashamed. Ashamed of what Loki would do once he realized he was a frost giant and not an Asgardian, what he would do in his anger. But Frigga could not deny she was afraid as well. Would he reject her in the end when he found out? And it was not 'if', it was 'when', because Frigga knew he would find out one day, there was no way they could keep the truth from him forever.

But she watched the girl look dizzy, closing her eyes for a moment and shake her head as she swayed in her chair. "Are you alright?" Frigga asked her concerned; there was supposed to be no ill effects! But how could she be so stupid! She and all others involved in this dreadful scheme should have realized, Althea was the Goddess of Life! And they had just taken away her body's natural ability to create life! Of course the girl would feel it, but the question was if she had enough knowledge of her abilities to realize this yet.

She waited, holding her breath, but then Althea smiled at her. "Yes, I'm quite all right, just felt a little…dizzy for a moment, I apologize," She replied, and Frigga released the breath she'd been holding. This girl had apologized to her? No…it should be Frigga who should be apologizing, yet no words could ever make up for what was done this day, and Frigga would never forget it.

Frigga decided to change the subject, to get her mind off of it. "I have taken the liberty of preparing chambers for both you and Loki to use from now on," Frigga told her of what she'd been preparing. It simply wouldn't do for them to remain in Loki's chambers, meant for Loki alone, not a fit place for a husband and wife.

"Oh! Thank you Frigga, you really didn't have to do that," Althea replied shaking her head.

"Just think of it as a wedding present," Frigga replied, before continuing, "And I have also found suitable women to be your handmaidens," She explained to her.

"Forgive me Frigga, but I don't need any handmaidens to-" Althea started but Frigga cut her off, waving a hand.

"Trust me, I thought the same once, but they are very useful, and great friends," Frigga said smiling at her, speaking only the truth, it was the least she owed the girl.

"Very well," Althea agreed, "But may I request the servant Etta be one of my handmaidens?" She asked her with hope in her voice.

Frigga's gaze softened, "Of course," She said smiling.

* * *

Later that day, as Althea walked around the palace gardens after leaving Frigga's rooms, she realized she felt...strange. Like something had gone missing from within her. It didn't hurt, at least not psychically, but it was like she was aching and going through a sense of grief and loss over…something. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, only that is was there and didn't seem to go away.

She turned a corner down the path, and watched as a woman picked up a small girl to cradle her to her chest before walking out of the gardens and all the while Althea watched them with envy. But as she lost sight of them she shook her head, wondering why she was feeling so…

Is that what the aching was? Did she want a child? But that was silly! Her and Loki had only just married, she couldn't think about children now, it was much too soon and she was not ready to be a mother. And not to mention all that was going on with her father and Sif. She wouldn't want to bring a child into the world until they were all reconciled. She wanted her family to be there, to be a part of her child's life when the time came.

But Althea didn't know when that was going to be… and the thought saddened her. This was when she wished she had more friends to talk to, and really she didn't have many. Maybe Frigga assigning her handmaidens would be good for her, to have other women to talk to. Loki was a good friend to her, and always had been. But he never liked her father, and he and Sif never got along, so she felt awkward going to see him for comfort about this.

Maybe she could find Etta somewhere, she could talk to her, and she hadn't seen her friend in a few days since she had found out about her betrothal. And then she'd slept a full day, thanks to Loki, she thought annoyingly. But it was probably for the best, she wouldn't have been much help to find a solution to her betrothal, and it all worked out best in the end considering she and Loki were married now.

Still it was hard to believe that Loki loved her, just as she loved him, and that they'd tied their lives together until the day they died. And if her father was anything to go by it may even be after that. She'd never seen her father pay any attention to any woman ever since her mother died 900 years or so ago. He had true devotion to her, but Althea sometimes wished he would have found happiness with another woman, to ease the loneliness she saw in him.

She knew if something ever happened to Loki, she would feel the same as her father. But could never imagine herself with anyone but Loki himself, so maybe she finally understood where her father was coming from. And besides, when her father died, her mother and he would one day be reunited in Valhalla or Heilheim, depending on where they met up. But that gave her hope, that they would one day be reunited again.

She turned to exit the gardens to find Etta, but before she could a voice behind her stilled her movements, "Ah! There is the beautiful bride!"

Althea turned, a smile on her face, seeing Eirik standing there with a cheery smile on his face as well. "Eirik! Hello, I have missed you," She told him walking closer to her friend.

"And I you," He replied. "I hear congratulations are in order, my princess," He said doing a mock bow, but Althea just waved him off with a little laugh.

While Eirik was not Etta, she trusted her friend, and he could comfort her this time. She knew she could always rely on Eirik to care for her, it was just in his nature.


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :)_

_Thanks so much for the reviews! Your support is just spectacular! :) And the faves/follows! :) _

* * *

1 year later

Loki was anxious.

Not from one single thing, but a collection of different problems he had noticed going on around him. Frigga, for starters, was very guarded around him, and especially Althea. He was not sure what had caused her to be this way, and it wasn't often he didn't figure things out for himself. But his mother was a mystery he could not decipher this time.

He'd asked Althea if anything had happened when she'd met his mother for tea, as they now often did together. But she said all was normal and that her and Frigga got along very well, and he could tell by the interactions he himself witnessed between the two that they were becoming quite close indeed.

While it was not that big of a problem, the way his mother was acting, it was beginning to annoy him. It was like she was on guard around him at all times, hiding something from him.

Then secondly, was Odin. His father showed no sign of anger, no sign of punishing him and Althea for getting married against his will. And so long without a sign of anything happening was beginning to worry him. What if Odin had done something but Loki hadn't noticed? His father would not let something like that go, it had hurt his pride, Loki going against his wishes. But if so, then exactly what had he done?

But, thirdly, and by far the most importantly, was Althea being friends with Eirik Thvarison, the man whom Loki had broken his back with his magic. It was an accident, of course it was, but he'd been under the impression Eirik would never walk again unless enduring a rigorous and painful healing treatment. Which by the evidence of him walking around he'd gone through. But why return now, of all times? And why be friends with his wife?

Loki never told Althea whom Eirik really was, and how he was connected to Loki. And it seemed Eirik also never mentioned anything of the sort, as Althea never asked about it again from the night he'd confessed to her what had happened at the banquet so long ago. But it seemed he saw them together wherever he went. But he only ever saw Eirik with Althea, and never alone, or when Loki himself was with Althea, Eirik was nowhere to be seen.

And Loki was jealous of the friendship they shared, and had caught himself trailing after the pair a time or two. He couldn't help himself, a man who he'd hurt in the past was friends with his wife, and seemed to be one of her closest confidents besides Loki himself and that servant turned handmaiden at Althea's request: Etta.

He would never show it, that he felt jealous, of course not. That would be unbecoming, and give Eirik exactly what he wanted. Loki was not stupid, he saw the way Eirik looked at Althea, and either she pretended not to notice or was completely oblivious to his advances. Advances, which she never returned. And Loki trusted she never would, he knew he had her heart just as she had his. But the way Eirik looked at Althea was something Loki did not like, it was a look full of love and wonder, but also possessiveness - a possessiveness Loki himself felt for Althea. And he constantly had to remind himself that he was the one married to her, and Eirik could do nothing.

Loki wanted him gone, but he had nothing to make it happen, no reason to have him exiled, or to just kill him himself. He was just waiting for Eirik to try and kiss Althea, try anything, something, to give Loki the excuse he needed to get rid of him. But no, Eirik never pushed their relationship outside the bounds of friendship, yet Loki would not let his guard down for even a moment.

And he had also broken the man's back once before, and Loki did feel guilty about it. Even if Eirik had brought it on himself, Loki still dealt the blow that caused the injury. Wasn't that enough agony for one's life? A broken back that left him unable to walk for who knows how long? Loki was not so cruel to throw exile or even death upon the man without him earning the punishment.

But that didn't mean Loki would be any less quick about giving it to Eirik. It just meant Loki found reasons within himself to hold back from doing so, but those reasons were dwindling, and dwindling quickly. It was like an old thread, snapping, snapping, and soon it would break and Loki would do as he pleased. But one of the bigger ones holding the thread together still was Althea, and the fact that she cared for Eirik. He could never hurt something she cared about, it felt wrong of him to do so.

Still, Loki could sense something within Eirik growing stronger with each day he saw him. Something Loki did not like, and did not want to provoke unless he had to. But Loki knew something within him was also growing, something dark and sinister, something that had been growing since the day he could think for himself.

Just as Loki suspected, as he turned the corner through the palace halls, he saw Althea and Eirik walking side by side together looking to be in a deep conversation. And just as Althea smiled, Loki scoffed and turned the other way, annoyed.

* * *

Loki had come up with a plan, one that would interfere with whatever it was Eirik was doing with his Althea. And as he came across their rooms, and when he said rooms he meant more than one, so really it was their apartments, equipped with a study for himself, a bathing chamber, a bedroom, a sitting room, a reading room, a dressing room, it seemed his mother spared no expense in having it created for them.

And that was where Loki found Althea, in the reading room, reading a book of hers as her friend and head handmaiden, Etta stood behind her brushing out her beautiful golden locks. She was also the one Loki had masqueraded himself as when delivering the necklace Althea still wore to this day around her neck, and he'd never seen her without it, she even slept in it.

Loki cleared his throat, walking into the room with his hands behind his back, watching as Etta bowed her head but continued brushing out Althea's hair. And she was just the one he needed to speak with. Loki smiled at Althea before calling out, "Etta is it?" He asked and watched as the girl stilled in her ministrations with the brush to look up at him.

"Yes, my lord," She replied curtsying this time.

"Good, I would like for you, or one of your fellow handmaidens to follow Althea around wherever she goes, whenever she goes, unless I am with her," He said, in a voice that left no room for argument from Althea, who raised an eyebrow in question but said nothing.

"Of course, my lord," Etta replied. "I shall see it done," She replied.

"Good, now off you go," He said waving a hand towards the door.

Etta nodded, before taking the brush with her on her way out, bowing her head before Althea. "Farewell, my lady," She said before leaving the room.

As the door closed behind her, Althea stood up to face him. "You didn't have to be so rude," She said to him annoyed. "She's my friend," She told him.

"Yes, well she's not my friend is she?" He asked her playfully, walking over to her.

"Well she could be if you were nicer to her," Althea replied rolling her eyes with a humph. "Now why do I need someone to accompany me at all times?" She asked him suspiciously.

"There is unrest within the palace. I can feel it, I want you with someone at all times while away from me," Loki lied to her, but she needn't know that.

It was Eirik he was sensing the unrest was coming from, and he didn't want Althea alone with him any longer.

Althea sighed, before nodding. "Very well, but only until all is peaceful again. My handmaidens do have other duties besides following me around all day," She said with a shake of her head, returning to her book.

"Do they? I hadn't realized," Loki replied walking over to the sofa she was sitting on.

"Oh shush," She told him. "You're just lucky I'm not arguing. This is the first time I've heard of any unrest in the palace," She told him, looking up from her book.

"Then you don't have very good ears," Loki replied smirking at her.

Slowly, Althea sat up, creating a space beside her, which Loki promptly sunk into, before Althea rested her back against his side, opening up her book.

"What are you reading?" Loki asked her, watching as Althea closed her book so he could read the title. "Brunnhilda the Valkyrie," He read aloud. "Why are you reading this?" He asked her.

"Eirik recommended it for me... Said it could remind me of Sif, and he was right, Brunnhilda and Sif are very much the same," Althea replied smiling slightly at the book.

Loki felt jealousy flare up inside him at the name. "Oh he did, did he? When exactly am I to meet this Eirik?" He asked her stroking her arm with his hand.

Althea sighed. "I want the two of you to meet, but I think Eirik is intimidated by you," She confessed, and Loki couldn't help the satisfaction he felt. Yes, let that man be intimidated by him, it suited Loki just fine.

But Loki also knew this was not true. Eirik was just afraid to face Loki, was probably even afraid of him. And he should be, as no one took what was his.

"Would you read to me?" Loki whispered into Althea's ear, causing her to blush.

"Alright," She agreed smiling, before turning to the first page and begginign to read. _"Brunnhilda's parentage was unknown, it was said she was not of only Asgardian parentage, but had lived longer than Asgard itself. She was selected by Odin to be the leader of the Valkyrior, the Choosers of the Slain, a group of warrior Goddesses who chose which of the fallen in battle would continue on the Valhalla…"_

* * *

Eirik was angry.

Nothing was working. Nothing! Every time he tried subtlety planting doubts in his sweet Althea's head about her precious Loki she would find ways ot contradict him the next time they spoke! He had been unsuccessful for over a year to make Althea love him, instead of that, that evil God of Mischief!

So now he was on his way to see Fenrir. The man would know what to do. He'd have to give him some sort of guidance, he had no one else to turn to. No one else knew of his plans except Fenrir. He was his last hope.

As he banged on the door of Fenrir's home, quite harsly, he might add, but did not care, we was impatient for Fenrir to come.

And once he did, he did not even allow the man to speak before Eirik charged into the house. "Nothing is working!" He screamed into the house, so loud it seemed to shake.

Fenrir, calm as ever, closed the door and continued walking further into the house with Eirik following him to sit at Fenrir's dining table this time, the same place they had signed the marriage contract, which was now nonexistent thanks to that bastard of a prince. It seemed at every opportunity he ruined Eirik's life!

"I was afraid of this," Fenrir said, pouring two cups of ale for them, setting one in front of Eirik as he sat down.

"So what will it be old man? Do you have a plan?" Eirik asked him, taking the ale in his hands and drinking it down.

Fenrir looked deep in thought, and Eirik let him think, pouring himself another jug of ale. It seemed to help his pain, but also cuase him to be even more angry. Yet Eirik liked the feeling of power he got when angry, when the adrenaline pumped through his veins and he felt like he could take on anything and anyone; he felt invincible.

Why couldn't Althea see that he was the better choice? He was strong! He had good home, lots of coin for her to spend, he'd be a good father to all the children they would have! He deserved someone like her! And she deserved someone like him would care for her, much better than an idiot prince could!

But finally Fenrir spoke, seeming to come up with a plan. "Tell me, have you ever heard of Karnilla?" He asked him, and Eirik shook his head no, listening intently as Fenrir explained, a smile slowly creeping its way onto his face the more he listened.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter was a bit of a filler, which is why it is shorter, but I needed it to set up some things! :) And there was some bit of happy/tender moment between Althea and Loki!_

_Some notes on reviews: _

_I debated about what I wanted to do with Odin's reaction, and the causing Althea to be barren seemed to just click. One reason he wouldn't want Loki and Althea to have a child would be because it would be half frost giant and it seems to me Odin doesn't want Loki to know who he truly is. A child would for sure complicate that for him. And he had to do something, to punish Loki for getting married to Althea against Odin's word. So Odin probably has some regret in what he chose to do and figured Loki and Althea didn't need anymore punishment (even if they don't know what happened) _

_It was hard for me to have this happen to Althea and Loki. It was really not an easy choice, I am not a mother, but one day I would like to be, and being told I can't have a child is one of my biggest fears! And yes, adoption is an option, but exactly for Loki and Althea that was what started this whole problem in the first place. _

_All that being said, Althea _is _the Goddess of life, so will this be a permanent thing...? _

_But to answer a question, yes Loki and Althea will be happy together without anyone interfering, at least for a time after all the drama settles down, but when will this happiness start is the other question..._

_And P.S: What is up with Eirik!? _


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea, and other unrecognizable characters!_

_Thanks so much for the reviews/faves/follows! :) _

* * *

Eirik traveled through the forests of Asgard, on his way to the province of Nornheim to visit with its Queen, Karnilla. He'd been journeying there for just over a week now, leaving after Fenrir explained just who the woman he sought was and how she could help him. He was thankful for his stamina, as well as endurance after years of training and being a guard in the palace, which made his journey tireless. He also decided the fates were on his side these past few days, as the weather had been perfect for travel. He had encountered no trouble of any kind on the path he took to Nornheim, which he could tell from the constant 'snap' of twigs and branches, had not been used in a very long time.

He'd had a hard time believing just what Fenrir said, but he'd heard he and Odin had once been friends long ago in their youth and of course Fenrir would know about it. The story went, that once long before he was even born, Karnilla, a princess of Nornheim, had visited Asgard with her father the king of Nornheim. And during the time of their stay, Karnilla and Odin grew quite close, so much so that Karnilla began to fall for Odin. She'd apparently admitted it to him, but Odin rejected her, saying his heart belonged to another: Frigga. But of course Frigga at the time despised him, so Karnilla could not understand Odin's fascination with the other red headed woman.

It all came to a head, the day the betrothal between Odin and Frigga was announced. Frigga had run from the hall, and Odin had looked deeply upset about this then, as he was a young prince and not so good at schooling his face to betray none of his emotions. But Karnilla saw the pain and torment on his face, and followed him to his chambers where she attempted to comfort him, going so far to offer herself to him, disrobing in front of him. Odin had obliged, this time accepting Karnilla, but just before they could continue, Odin pushed her off of him.

He'd thrown her out of his rooms, and Karnilla had left humiliated and angry. So much so that she'd attacked Frigga, but never got very far and was banished back to Nornheim. A greater punishment could not be given, as Karnilla ws to be a queen herself one day and so in Nornheim she stayed. But it was not with a sword or bow Karnilla had attacked Frigga with, it was magic. As Karnilla was an accomplished enchantress and master of spells, at least she was now according to Fenrir. She'd spent the thousands of years of her reign in Nornheim honing her abilities until she could master them no longer.

This was why Eirik had hope Karnilla could help him in getting Althea away from Loki and into his arms forever, protected from the prince and any enchantments he'd put on his Althea to make her love him. As there has to be something. There was no way that Althea could not fall for Eirik, he although admittedly, was quite full of himself. But all those things he saw in himself were true: he was handsome, rich, kind (when he wished to be), a great fighter, an accomplished warrior and so many more things than the prince. And Eirik had to be honest with himself, other than having the title of prince, what other accomplishments did Loki have to his name? Zero, that's how many, at least in Eirik's opinion of things, and his view of the world was the right one.

And just as those thoughts entered his mind, they left as he took in the beautiful sight before him as he crested over a hill. Viewing a spectacular palace, surrounded by a city of purple and silver of varying shades. Of course, it was nothing compared to Asgard, but in everything he had seen in his years of life, this was the third most beautiful, the first being Asgard, and the second being Althea, whose radiance and beauty outshone all others and all other things.

Eirik smiled joyfully at finally making it to the kingdom of Nornheim. He continued on his way, not even losing his smile as guards, of both women and men, approached him in metallic purple armor and black capes. "Take me to your queen!" He said to them, letting them grab onto his arms and pull him through the city, all the way up many, many stairs. Still his smile did not falter as he was set before the throne of Karnilla.

She was a true beauty in his opinion, (nothing compared to Althea) but very close. She had long, wavy black tresses flowing down to her waist, the top of her head covered in a silver crown, bright and beautiful purple eyes, which showed to be full of wisdom and knowledge, and they were staring straight at him. The long purple dress she wore, which was very low cut, he thought appreciatively, matched her eyes.

"An Asgardian walks into my kingdom, smiling…" She started in a silky sweet voice before cutting herself off. "Is this the beginning of some sort of joke?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow as she stared down at him.

Eirik shook his head, still smiling, though not as wide as before, his cheek muscles were beginning to hurt after all. "Not a joke, beautiful Queen Karnilla, but I have come seeking your aid," He explained to her hopefully.

She scoffed, before rolling her eyes and gesturing to him with her hand. "Take him away from my sight," She said to the guards at her side, who immediately did as she said wlaking towards him.

"No! Wait," Eirik called out in a very serious voice. "I have a proposition for you that would mar those within the house of Odin!" He shouted out to her, just as the guards reached him, hauling him up and beginning to pull him away.

"Wait!" Karnilla said, just at the mere mention of Odin, and Eirik knew he had her, all he had to do now was manipulate the situation into his favour. "Leave him," She said to the guards, who nodded, letting go of him. Eirik stood back up straight and walked over to the Queen before him smirking. "Go on…" Karnilla said leaning forwards in her throne.

"I heard from a friend that you once cared for Odin a great deal, loved him even," Eirik started, sounding sympathetic in his voice, but he could really care less for Karnilla's feelings. "I too, suffer the same as you did, for I love a woman by the name of Althea, and she has shown affection for me... But it is hampered, as she is married to Odin and Frigga's son, Loki," Eirik explained to her looking away, sounding in despair, but only he knew it was an act.

"What a pity for the girl," Karnilla said. "To be married to Odin and Frigga's spawn," She said, anger flashing in her eyes, and as she spoke the word 'spawn' it was filled with bitterness.

"I think the same," Eirik agreed. "He is just awful for her, he has already separated her from her family!" He said, twisting the truth just a bit, but Karnilla needn't know that.

"Hmmm," Karnilla said. "And why have you brought this to me?" She asked him.

Eirik swallowed thickly, just for effect, then sunk down onto his knees to bow before her. "I humbly request your aid in taking Althea away from Loki, away from Asgard, away from all that stands in my way!" He said to her pleadingly.

He looked up after a moment, watching as Karnilla gave him a sympathetic look. "I see what troubles you, and I sympathize with what you feel," She told him. "But how can I be of service to you?" She asked him curiously.

"I have been told of your great enchantress abilities, and know the only way I can be successful is if I block Althea and myself from Heimdall's sight, so he may not see where we are. And I will also need a way to block Althea from using her own magic, to escape, before I have a chance to make her see that she belongs with me!" He explained to her, imploring her to help him.

"I see," She said nodding. "It would not be such a hard task, ones I had mastered long ago, and causing strife in Odin's household would be most pleasing to me…" She said, and Eirik wasn't sure if she was speaking to him or herself, but he heard her all the same.

"So you'll help me?" Eirik asked her.

Karnilla nodded, before loking at him curiously. "I didn't catch your name," She prompted him.

"Eirik," He introduced himself, "Eirik Thvarison."

"Well, Eirik, I agree to help you," Karnilla said a smirk on her face as she looked down at him.

"Thank you my lady!" Eirik said to her. "I am forever in your dept," He said to her, not expecting a response, but one was indeed given.

"Not yet, but you will be," She said, before she started laughing to herself, like a child.

* * *

Loki had had enough of this.

Eirik Thvarison was now making him quite livid. All because he had to go away for a few days and Loki was left behind to console Althea who wondered where he'd gone without a word, not leaving a trace behind or any clue for where he was. He decided he was going to find him, and speak with him, he didn't care if it would upset Althea, the thread holding him back from being angry had snapped, and there was no repairing it.

He charged across the bifrost, anger radiating off of him so thick he was sure all those in Asgard could feel it. So he broke Eirik's spine? He goes after Loki's wife?! The guilt of the past was gone from Loki's mind. Eirik had healed, he'd seen for himself him walking around the halls and city outside the palace, with Althea each and everytime of course. And Loki was quick to figure out Eirik wanted to be seen with Althea, in the hopes that Loki would see them together, to make Loki jealous. And he hated that it was actually working!

Of course, he would never let it show on his face, keeping the feeling tightly wrapped up inside him. But it was there and it was growing so fast and strong he was wondering when he would lose control of it. And he had, and the jealous feeling had mixed with all the anger that resided within him to create something volatile, and Loki didn't care. He was in fact, happy to let the emotion over take him, all directed straight at Eirik. He didn't care that Althea would be angry with him for hurting Eirik, she'd get over it, she loved him, not Eirik, as he liked to remind himself smugly. Loki knew it, and most importantly, Eirik knew it himself.  
Which was another reason Loki was angry. Couldn't Eirik see that Althea was happy as his wife? Happy to be in love with him! Shouldn't Eirik want Althea to be happy, if he truly loved her, just as Loki himself did? And although he would not be happy about it, and very, very, angry, if Althea came to him and said she had fallen in love with Eirik, he would let her go. All he wanted was her happiness, no matter how angry and hurt it would cause him to be. But he was thankful that he knew, without a doubt that Althea loved him.

And so, as he stormed inside the bifrost to see, (unsurprisingly) Heimdall already there waiting, Loki screamed at him. "Where is he!" And the God did not even flinch.

Loki watched, very impatiently as Heimdall turned his gaze out towards Asgard, a far away look over taking him. Loki started tapping his foot, waiting for Heimdall to tell him Eirik's exact location, but then Heimdall tilted his head, in the slightest and almost unnoticeable look of confusion, but Loki was a master of reading people, and he noticed it immediately.

"Well?!" He asked, eagerly awaiting his response.

"I cannot see him," Heimdall replied, not even sparing Loki a glance as he continued looking.

Loki was confused; Heimdall could see everyone, everywhere! There were no exceptions to the rule unless using a spell… Which as far as he knew, only he himself could perform… But Loki knew he and Althea were not the only magic users out there, and so he turned to Heimdall again, his voice dangerously calm. "Where is she?" He asked this time, and Heimdall didn't need to be told exactly whom 'she' was, knowing instantly he meant Althea.

Heimdall searched, and as he did, he described what he was seeing to Loki. "I see her in a garden, covered in blood. Two shadows are closing in on her, she fightss back with her magic, running, trapped, overpowered she-" Heimdall cut himself off, staring off, and Loki was furious, waiting for Heimdall to continue. "I can no longer see her," Heimdall said, and with those words destroyed Loki's heart…

* * *

_Only a little earlier…._

Althea was walking through the halls, Etta trailing beside her, as per Loki's instructions. She didn't mind when Etta was the one to accompany her, and she'd requested her for the day, as Etta was the closest to her out of all her handmaidens. But Althea recognized the feeling of comfort she received from Etta was similar to the one she felt from Sif, before they'd had their falling out. But simply being around Etta eased the ache she felt from missing her sister.

Being a twin was a strange and indescribable feeling. It was like Sif and she shared a soul that was split in two, which accounted for the differences from the other that they had. They were very much opposites in life and yet, they still remained close.

How could it have come to this? She wondered to herself as she walked beside her friend in silence. And how could Althea let it continue on? She decided then and there, that she would find Sif by the end of the day and speak with her about the way they had both been acting to the other. And she would also say, Sif had to accept that Althea loved Loki, and if she didn't then.. then it would be the end of their relations.

She couldn't live with this constant wondering…wondering if she and Sif would ever return to the way they used to be.

"Everything will work itself out in the end, Althea," Etta said putting a hand on her shoulder, using her name, instead of those silly titles like she'd asked of her. Friends should call each other by their first names, something she'd learned long ago from Loki himself.

"Thank you," Althea replied, putting her other hand over Etta's and smiling slightly at her.

But suddenly, a familiar voice spoke to her from her left, startling her. "Fine day for a walk, isn't it ladies?"

"Eirik!" Althea said in surprise seeing said man walking beside her. "Where habve you been?" She asked him. "You just disappeared!"

"I needed some time to think," Was all he said in reply. "Would you walk with me?" He asked her hopefully.

Althea nodded. "Of course," She told him, wondering if he would tell her just where he'd gone.

He took her arm in his, and led her through the halls in silence, seeming to be leading her some place, exactly where, she wasn't sure, before finally he led her into the palace gardens, a place she loved to visit. He turned to her, setting his hands on her arms and gripping her just shy from painfully.

"Althea, from the moment I met you, I knew you were special," He said to her, not even letting her get a word in as he continued. " Not just special because of your kind nature, or your beauty, or even the gift of magic that you have, but because I knew you would be special to me…I love you, Althea Fenrirdottir," He confessed.

Althea couldn't say she was surprised, but still, to actually here him say the words…she shook her head. "Eirik, I am honored by the kindness and love you've shown me, but you know, I am married to Loki, I love Loki," She told him, and at the mere mention of his name, Eirik's grip on her arm's tightened, but she had to get it out, she had to be honest with him. "I can't let your feelings grow further, you must realize I am not the one for you, but I know there is a lucky woman out there just waiting…" She said, trailing of with a gasp as Eirik shook her roughly.

"I don't want another woman!" He screamed at her angrily. "I've only wanted you! That's why I went to your father, to bethroth us!" He said, shocking her.

But she should have realized, it was Eirik she had been betrothed to all along, how could she have missed this? All she wanted was to forget about her betrothal, to put it behind her along with the hurt it came with. "For all this time you kept it from me?!" She said to him accusingly. After all, it had been over two years now. "Why did you stay! Why have you decided to tell me now?" She asked him shaking her head in her own confusion.

She watched, as an eerily joyous smile lit up Eirik's face, and instantly she felt chills run over her body as her hair stood on end, something was very wrong here.

"Because I finally succeeded," Eirik said to her in a calm voice as he leaned in closer, pulling her into his chest and…smelling her hair?

"In what?" Althea asked him timidly.

"In my play to win your heart," Eirik replied, and Althea shook her head, trying to get him to understand that nothing he could do would make her fall out of love with Loki.

"Eirik, I'm sorry, but I don't feel that way about you," She told him as gently as she could, but then paused, why was she being nice? Here Eirik was, man handling her, like he owned her and she was playing the shy and scared girl. "I will never feel that way about you, no mater what you do," She told him, making sure to put emphasis on the 'never' so he truly understood.

But Eirik just grabbed her tighter. "He's cast his spell on you so deeply, that you truly believe what you say is the truth," He said. "But I will make you see," He told her, leaning back to look her in the eyes, before he leaned in, smothering her lips with his, and she felt sick to her stomach at the action as she struggled against him.

And that was when Etta, her faithful friend came, and grabbed Eirik's arm, and with surprising strength pulled him off of Althea, pushing him away and then catching Althea before she could fall in shock.

"Come, my lady," Etta said to her in a perfectly calm voice like all was normal. "Let's go get you a warm-ah!" Etta screamed, and this time Althea was the one holding her up as Etta sank to her knees in pain.

Althea looked over Etta's shoulder, to see Eirik standing behind her, a maniacal grin on his face, and Althea was shocked as she felt wetness seep into her dress, the same feeling she'd gotten the day her father had returned to her and Sif, wounded from battle.

As Etta fell, so did Althea, capturing her friends head before it could hit the ground, and staring in shock as Etta coughed, blood beginning to rise out of her mouth. Althea cared not that she was getting covered in blood. All that mattered was that her friend was dying and she had to save her, after all she was a healer, and the Goddess of Life. She started using her magic to heal her friend, and had only just started, when she was yanked back by her hair away from Etta. She could feel Eirik's rough hands grab hold of her body pulling her away as she struggled against him, her magic flaring, shocking him enough that he let go of her and she fell to the ground.

She started to get up, to move towards Etta once again, she had to save her; it was her fault that she was dying!

"I don't think so," A silky sweet voice that was very unfamiliar to her said, before she felt like she was suffocating, unable to draw breath or speak.

She felt Eirik grab her again, and this time Althea was completely powerless to do anything, to even move away. She watched as a beautiful dark haired woman came into her view, standing in front of her, before looking at Eirik over her shoulder. "You didn't have to kill her friend," She said, in a voice so casual about it that it made Althea angrier than she'd ever been before.

And because of her anger, her magic responded, becoming so powerful that it broke through whatever spell was put on her, obviously by this enchantress, and sent Eirik flying back, this time much farther. But Althea was only focused on this foreign magic user now, who was staring at her in surprise. "Oh my, you are a powerful one aren't you?" She asked her rhetorically. "But young," She said, before flinging a purple glow at Althea, which she dodged just in time before sending her own magic at the woman, just grazing her dress, singeing it. The woman gasped, before turning to her, a sinister look on her face that made Althea feel very small, and very afraid. "I wasn't aware how much trouble you'd be," The woman said, before using both hands to send a shock wave of magic at Althea, so fast she had no chance to deflect or move away from the line of fire.

It hit her head-on, sending her flying into a stone bench, cracking the table as her body could endure more than that, and was stronger. The woman was suddenly over her, casting an enchantment in foreign words all over her body. And again, Althea felt like she could not breath, like she was drowning in thick sand choking her. She tried using her magic, and as she did she witnessed the purple glow around her flare gold, for only just a moment as her own magic fought back, but it was not enough, and she was exhausted by now, and in despair. So much that she felt like her magic was blocked from her, in such an agonizing rip that it caused her eyes to roll back into her head and she remembered nothing more.

* * *

_A/N:_

_Yup, Eirik went crazy! _

_I do love mythology and decided to incorporate it into this story as it does surround around the Asgardian gods! But I also incorporated Karnilla, and she is from the comics! But all the familiar characters except the ones in the movie are sort of my own take on them._

_And I know I haven't had much Althea/Loki moments these past few chapters! Soooo sorry! _

_Thank you all so much for reviewing! Just hearing that you are loving this story makes me wanna write more and inspires me to continue! So again thank you all so much! :) _


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to! I only own my OC Althea! _

_Sorry this is so late! _

_Thanks so much for the reviews and follows/faves! :) _

* * *

1 Month Later

* * *

A month, an entire month she'd been away from Loki, away from her family, away from her friends. A month since she'd watched Eirik kill Etta, a month since she'd felt the warm, sticky liquid life flow into the fabric of her dress. A month since she'd been pulled away from her home, by that…that monster! A month since she'd been unable to save Etta. A month since she'd watched her die. A month since she'd used her magic.

She counted each day, it was impossible not to. And everyday, every chance she got, she searched for a way to escape the place Eirik kept her captive. It was a log cabin, beautifully built and warm with a hearth in the middle of the room. There were many fur blankets and rugs thrown about, a table to dine at and chairs too. But all the same it was rustic, and anything but what she was used to in Asgard, what anyone was used to in Asgard.

But she supposed her accommodations could be worse than this if she were honest. It still did not change the fact that she was indeed, held captive. And if the cool iron cuff, attached to a chain that was bolted to a pillar in the house, around her right ankle was anything to say about her willingness to be there, then the nail in her hand would.

She'd spotted it in the walls her ninth day in the place; once the shock and disbelief had worn off she'd begun to search for ways to escape. Eirik kept a very close eye on her though, and chances were slim and few. So every time he stepped outside, she would quickly start tugging and pulling at the nail in the wall, and over time it had become loose enough she could pull it out. Today Eirik had gone foraging for food and water, which he did every other day or so.

The second she could no longer hear his footsteps walking from the house she had sat on the bed (which thankfully was hers alone) and started using the sharp point of the nail on the keyhole in the cuff. But she'd had no such luck today, or the day before either. She only hoped the constant wear on it would eventually break it down enough that she could free herself.

She didn't dwell on what she'd do once she did escape, where she would go, or any of those details; only escape was the priority now. She had no idea where they even were, were they still on Asgard? And if not then where exactly were they? She wished only to see outside the house, to maybe identify their surroundings but Eirik never let her out. Not even to see the sun, which hadn't touched her skin the entire time she'd been chained.

And even if Eirik did let her out, she doubted the stupid chain would reach all the way through the door. The house was only about 30 feet long, and the width about twenty. The problem was, the doorway exiting the house was directly across from the bolt that held the chain in place.

She would have escaped long ago, and not have to resort to using a rusty nail to aid her escape if she could use her magic. A simple spell would break the chain no problem and she would be free, but she could not feel it, at all. It had something to do with that other magic wielder she'd briefly fought against on Asgard, and lost. That woman was much more powerful, and had much more knowledge than Althea did in the arts of magic. And sadly, foolishly, Althea had focused most of her magic learning on healing spells, only just touching on defensive and offensive magic.

But even so, dwelling on the past and its what ifs would help her situation none, at least not now. Maybe once she got out of this, and she would, she'd have Loki teach her more…Why did she have to be so against the arts of battle? Why had she never asked Sif to teach her to wield a dagger? She got the general, stabbing, thrusting motion, but she couldn't defend herself with a dagger, she'd more likely end up hurting herself. And there was also the problem that she didn't have a dagger with her… but looking down at the metal nail in her hand, she decided it would have to do.

There was no way she could survive out in the…wherever they were, outside of the cabin she was in now, without protection. It didn't matter where they were, there would doubtlessly be trouble lurking, and she'd be left defenceless. Althea was so very angry. Angry at herself, angry at the world, and most of all, angry at Eirik.

He was becoming increasingly violent and more prone to anger with each incident that happened. The first day, she'd begged him on her hands and knees for him to take her home. She'd been crying so hard her chest shook but still she'd stood up and grabbed onto Eirik's shoulders, and she had watched as his eyes softened. She'd felt true hope, and then she'd asked him to take her home to her family, to her sister, to her father, to her friends, to Loki. And she now knew never to utter Loki's name again.

She remembered the fear that had shot through her when Eirik's eyes had blazed with rage and he'd shoved her so hard away from him that she fell into a wooden chair at an odd angle, bringing it down with her.

He'd screamed at her, saying, "Never mention that name again!" and then, as if it couldn't get any worse, he had kicked her in the stomach, then spit on the floor beside her, turned and left the cabin.

Althea noticed that Eirik was changing, and after doing something awful and hurtful to her he'd try and do better, so the next time, when she'd done something to anger him, which was when she caught a cold. A cold, unheard of for an Asgardian, their immune systems were strong and they were resistant to all diseases and most sicknesses unless severely weakened first. That was when she knew something was seriously wrong with her, and just what exactly being without her magic was doing to her.

Eirik had yelled and screamed at her, saying she was faking the illness, even when clearly she was ill. But he did not hit her, only yelled and screamed profanities at her and all she could do was lie on the bed with a fever and listen to every one.

He was growing bolder, and every time she did something he didn't like she would receive a slap somewhere on her person. And she knew this was only the beginning of his abuse. Althea knew she had to escape before it became worse.

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice featured in her nightmares asked her. As she looked up with a gasp of surprise, seeing Eirik glaring down at her, or more specifically, the nail in her hand, she knew the nightmare was really her reality.

She swallowed in fear, before slowly standing up from the bed, being as slow as possible, to not set him off further. "I was…I…" She trailed off, what could she say? Or more importantly, what could she lie?

Eirik walked slowly over to her, and she moved away from him, the back of her knees hitting the base of the bed, and she knew she could go no further, so she stopped and kept her head down, watching as Eirik's hand took her's in his own, the one that held the nail tightly in a fist, covered from view. But he knew it was there, of course he did, and he started prying her fingers open but she resisted, that nail had taken over a month to get! It was her best bet of breaking out of the chains and she knew it, but worst of all, Eirik knew it too.

He started using more force, and soon she could no longer resist his grip. The pain was becoming too much and her hand opened without her will, like it had it's own mind. Eirik grabbed it from her hand so fast she had no chance of reclosing it. He pulled it away so fast that it nicked her on the way off, like some sort of sick parting gift. She knew she'd never see that nail again.

She felt tears pool in her eyes, but she blinked them back, she refused to show weakness. At least when she could help it, but all the same she was readying herself for the assault she was going to receive from him.

"Look at me," Eirik ordered her, like she was a dog. But she kept her gaze downcast, afraid to look at him and see the rage on his face. "I said look at me!" He yelled at her, his terrifying voice echoing around the home. He didn't really give her a choice as large hands gripped her chin roughly, pulling her face up to look at him.

Just as she feared, his eyes were filled with anger, and hurt, and even though it was frightening to be face to face with the bear, and she the deer, she did not let it show. "Don't you like it here with me?" He asked her, his voice dropping down a few levels, though it sounded strained, like he was struggling to control his anger.

No, she wanted to answer, I hate it here and I hate you, but she kept silent. "Answer me!" He screamed again, the grip of his hand moving down to her throat, squeezing it.

She decided she would be honest with him, it didn't matter now, he was already angry and anything she said would make him angrier. "…No," She told him, and watched as surprise overtook his face, like he wasn't expecting her to answer him. "I hate it here, and I despise you!" She yelled at him this time, knowing the hate and fury shown in her eyes.

He squeezed her throat tighter, and she knew it would leave a bruise, joining the many others he'd left on her body already, but he did not stop there, he actually screamed in her face. An animalistic roar filled with rage. Then he did something she'd never expect him to do, not even when he was as angry as he was now. And that's why it took her by complete surprise as he pushed her down on the bed behind her, before he climbed atop her, straddling her waist between his thighs.

No, no, no, no, her mind repeated, this wasn't happening, as her mind went to a horrifying, sick, possibility of what Eirik was about to do to her, and she knew she couldn't let him. It would destroy her, and so with all her might she started kicking and shifting around, hitting him with her hands. "Get off me!" She screamed at him, but all he did was capture both her hands in one of his, pinning them above her head, and the other stayed on her throat, tightening until she could only just breathe.

She really couldn't breathe now, and she had to stop moving and struggling, she hadn't the strength to do so. Yet, Althea realized Eirik liked seeing her struggle, as the second she went limp he tightened his grip again, completely cutting off her airway, in an effort to get her to struggle again. But no matter how much everything within her was telling her to fight back, she couldn't give him the satisfaction, and instead lied still, even as her head started pounding, her lungs burned, and her body ached.

He didn't loosen his grip at all, in fact if she wasn't mistaken it only grew tighter, and she knew he was going to kill her. "Nothing to say now?" He asked her smirking.

Tears sprang in her eyes, and she could do nothing to stop them from falling, and at this point didn't care. "Y…" She tried choking out, but it was so very hard, and so with the last of the air in her lungs she spoke. "Y-You're ki-killing me," She said to him, for that was all she could get out.

And still he didn't move.

This was it, she thought, the end of her life. She'd never see Loki again, never get to tell him she loved him, or reconcile her relationship with Sif and her father. And she would be killed by Eirik's hand. The one she so trusted, and all she wished was a way to go back in time, and warn her past self of the dangers he possessed. When all hope seemed lost, and black began to fill her vision, Eirik's gaze softened and his grip around her throat loosened enough that she could draw breath, only to start coughing and gasping for breath.

"Althea, I'm so-so sorry," Eirik choked out. "I-I don't know what came over me," He told her, but she wasn't really listening, all that mattered was drawing air into her lungs again, sweet, sweet air.

He kissed her forehead then, in a surprisingly tender gesture, but it was lost on her, all she could see when she looked at Eirik now was a horrible, horrible person.

But he continued to kiss down her cheeks. "You are so beautiful, why would I ever want to harm such a magnificent creature?" He seemed to ask himself aloud and as he got closer to her mouth, she turned her head to the side away from him.

It seemed that was her second mistake that day, as it set him off again, this time he started running his hands down her body, thankfully covered by a thick and modest dress made of grey wool. She struggled against him again. "Please stop," She begged him, trying to shake his hands off her, but he didn't listen, or pretended not to. Instead his hands ran up her sides and to her neck again, but instead of choking her, he slid his hand underneath her dress, a dark and lustful look in his eyes. "I never got to see," He told her. "She was the one who changed you from the bloody dress," He explained, and Althea realized he meant the woman she'd fought with on Asgard. She'd been the one to change her out of the blood covered dress when she'd awoken on the very bed she lay on, in a new dress similar to the one she wore now.

"I only want one glimpse," Eirik said, and then he grabbed the front of her dress between his hands and started ripping it down the middle.

Althea felt like a pail of ice cold water had been dumped on her, causing her to freeze in shock, as the 'rip' sound seemed to echo in her ears.

But the shock didn't last for long; Althea curled her hand into a fist and sent it flying straight into Eirik's face, shocking him enough that he stopped what he was doing. She expected him to retaliate, but he did not, instead turned to look at her tear stained face with wide eyes, giving her a regretful and solemn look, before he pulled himself off her and the bed giving her one last look before he left.

Althea didn't move, not until she could no longer hear Eirik's footsteps outside, and even then she waited five minutes more, just to be sure. And only then did she pull herself together, the best she could muster, curling into a ball on the bed as she started sobbing with such raw emotion into the blankets.

She couldn't help but think, what if he hadn't stopped? But that was as far as her mind would let her go, she didn't want to imagine it any further than that. But now all she wanted was someone to comfort her, all she wanted was Loki. Instead she thought of him, and his smile, his laughter, the love in his eyes the day they married in Helheim, the way he'd held her after they made love for the first time on their wedding night.

Her emotion was so strong, and paired with her thoughts of Loki, her magic started to pull through, if only for a moment. But she felt it, like a breath of fresh air and focused intently on her emotions of despair and of Loki, repeating his name in her mind like a mantra, hoping she could get through to him, she kept trying and trying, but felt herself weakening. In one final burst of energy, she sent out one last thought, _"Loki!"_ before she was utterly and completely exhausted, but not before realizing it was the house that was spelled against magic, not her.

* * *

Loki was in complete and utter misery. A month and no sign, no clue, no word, no hope. The last sign, was when he'd found Etta's body in the palace gardens. He couldn't say he was not glad when he'd discovered it was Etta that was lying there dead, and not Althea. And he did not waste much time in thinking over the girl, but he did honor her sacrifice, which was obviously given in an attempt to protect Althea from Eirik, but it had been in vain and was worth nothing to him.

He could hardly eat, and instead he just sat, leaning against the wall with one of Althea dresses in his arms, which he'd sprayed with the fragrance she sprayed herself with. Lavender, with just a hint of jasmine.

It was the only way he could sleep, (when he managed to do so) with the fabric right beside him. He knew it was wrong, but it was his way of tricking himself into believing she still slept beside him. But then when he awoke, he'd realize the truth as it came crashing into him, and he would despair all over again.

Thor of course, tried to tell him to come out of his chambers, do something, read a book, anything to get Loki from wallowing in his sadness, but all it did was annoy him. So now he didn't even speak to anyone when they came to visit him.

He blamed himself for Eirik taking Althea. It was his fault, he'd broken Eirik's back, long ago, and because of this Eirik held a grudge and stole his wife. Really he should have seen it coming but he missed it. And because of that, Althea was gone.

He often found himself wondering about her, was she alive? Healthy? Did she miss him? He wondered if maybe she'd lost hope of returning to him and so instead succumbed to whatever it was Eirik tried to win her heart. Which he was sure was happening as he sat there now…

_"Loki!"_

The sound of his name startled him, for it had been Althea's voice, full of despair, sorrow, longing and love all wrapped into one. For a moment he'd thought he was hallucinating, but he'd felt a presence in his mind, a presence distinctly Althea.

A simple word, his name, but spoken from her lips, gave Loki hope. And with that he stood up, casting an illusion over his disheveled appearance to look well put together, he could bathe later. Now he had to see Heimdall, even if it was fruitless. But Loki would search for her until the end of time, and beyond if he was still alive, he would not stop until he found her. Such was the love he had for Althea Fenrirdottir.

* * *

_Mean't to have this up on Sunday, but I unfortunately came down with a cold and was way too tired to even attempt at writing! I am still not feeling so great, so I can't say for sure wether you'll get a chapter or not tomorrow but you will get an update eventually don't worry!_

_Thanks for the reviews guys! _

_Eirik, Eirik, Eirik, he is a challenge to write because I hate him so much... _

_BUT, well, when the author hates a character, I think we all know what happens to them in the end ;) _


	17. Chapter 17

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers! I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :) _

_Thank you all soooooooo much for the reviews! You're all so awesome! And thank you everyone again, for favouriting and following! :) And reading! I know I thank you a lot but I must because I really am grateful! _

* * *

She had to escape, even if she brought the house down on her, it would be worth it. Another tug, and still nothing. Althea tightened her grip on the chain about two feet from where it connected to her ankle. She pulled again, this time using all the strength she had in her and the beam the other end of the chain was attached to groaned, but did not budge. Her hands were starting to burn, and if she looked down she'd see there was blood on her palms.

Althea ignored the pain though; it would be nothing compared to what she knew was to come, if the previous day was anything to go by, and it was. She very much doubted Eirik would not try to violate her again, and when he did, he would not stop.

She let go of the chain, holding her hands palm up, seeing the blood that coated them, she groaned in frustration. Looking around the room, she pulled a blanket from the bed and wiped her hands on it, before getting an idea. So instead of discarding of it, she wrapped her hands in it and used it as a barrier between her skin and the chain, starting to pull once again.

And it wasn't just Eirik motivating her to want to escape, not that he wasn't an enormous part of it. But last night, she swore she'd connected to Loki. And that gave her the courage to keep trying, and not to give up. She knew that he had looked for her, but she was smart enough to guess Heimdall could not see her, or she would have been rescued by now.

Thinking of Loki, her heart felt like it was burning inside her chest in an extremely painful way. Like a hand was in her chest, squeezing it tighter and tighter. So she had to stop thinking of Loki, though she loathed doing so. But she knew it would be for the best in the end. Why cause herself more pain and torment than she needed?

Why couldn't she just use her magic!? But of course, Eirik had thought of that, Althea hated to admit it but he was not an idiot. He'd probably gotten that woman to do it for him. And she now knew after breaking through it last night, even for a moment, that it was not her who was spelled, it was the house itself. So once she left the house, then she could use her magic to get out of this place, and to protect herself if the need arose.

She started pulling again, this time standing a little closer, putting all her weight into the tug, when she heard a whistle, startling her so much that she let go and fell backwards on to her back. She quickly scrambled up, grabbed the blanket and stuffed it underneath the bed, before climbing on to it herself putting her back to the wall, the farthest she could get from Eirik.

Not even a minute after she had calmed her nerves some, Eirik came storming in, still whistling a tune she recognized as a drinking ballad; highly inappropriate for a time such as this. He walked over to the dining table, slamming down a dead female deer with an arrow sticking out of it, which he promptly pulled out roughly, then tossed it on the floor.

She almost, almost began to think he had forgotten her, but then he looked up, smiled in a way that only made her want to run and be sick, then sauntered over to her. Althea started backing away as best she could, though there wasn't much else she could go, so instead she just turned her head so it was against the wall. She was just about to bring her arms to cover her ears when she heard the bed squeak, telling her that Eirik had joined her. By this point she was trembling in fear no matter how much she wished she wasn't.

"Oh, don't be so afraid, I did apologize," Eirik said, grabbing her arm gently, then pulling her so she sat on his lap. A liar. He never apologized, he hadn't spoken a word to her since he'd left her lying on the bed with a tattered dress and her own tears for company. Even when he'd returned and she'd pretended to be asleep he hadn't said a word, and neither when he left earlier that morning to go hunt for food.

"While hunting, I did some thinking, and I asked myself, "How can I make sure Althea doesn't try and escape again?" and then I came up with not one, but two ideas," Eirik said, taking her hand in his, then separating her fingers, which were limp in his hold, like the rest of her.

She'd learned last night not to try and fight him, it only made him angry, and she had this sickening idea he liked seeing her in pain. Though she still trembled, but she kept telling herself, one day this will all be a memory, and she would never have to think about-

"Ah!" She screamed in pain, a 'crack' sound filling the room, coming from her index finger, which Eirik had broken.

This time she did tense up, how could she not? If a single break, in her finger no less, caused her that much pain, she didn't want to know what it would be like to break an arm or a leg. "Don't think I don't know you tried again," Eirik's hot breath filled her ear as he whispered to her. "Your hands are bloody from gripping the chain so tight, a chain that just so happens to be covered in fresh blood," He informed her of his observation, 'crack'.

Another scream tore out of her chest before she could stop it. He had broken another finger on the same hand. And then she started whimpering, it felt like her entire hand was in boiling water, though she knew only two fingers were broken. Still, she couldn't distinguish between where the pain in her hand started and where it ended.

"Next time you try an escape, I'll break your wrist," Eirik told her, before pushing Althea off him back onto the bed, then standing up, smiling at her again, like he hadn't just caused her pain, like tears were not leaking out of her eyes. "Don't worry, those breaks should only take a week to heal," Eirik informed her, before he laughed. "But you'd know that, you are the healer in this relationship," He said, but Althea could hardly think the pain was so blinding, she didn't know anything. Though she was sure there was no "relationship" between them, unless hating him with everything in her counted.

He patted her shoulder. "I also have something for you," then he stood up and walked out of the cabin.

As she heard him walk back inside, Althea opened her eyes and sat up, cradling her hand to her chest, watching as Eirik walked in with a bundle in his hands. Or more specifically, she could tell was a grey blanket, wrapped around something small, about the size of a…baby. Her eyes widened in horror, he couldn't have stolen a child could he?! She remembered him saying there were two ideas he'd come up with, to get her to stay, and she couldn't leave a baby with him!

But as Eirik kneeled down beside her, and she could see inside the bundle, all she could feel was relief. It was not a child, but an animal: a baby deer; a fawn. "I killed it's mother," Eirik said in a surprisingly gentle voice, one that reminded her almost like the old Eirik, the one she'd danced with what seemed so long ago now. He gestured at the deer, laying dead on the table behind them. "I thought you could raise it, being the Goddess of Life that you are," He said. "Think of it as a companion for you, while I'm away, and also an apology gift, for what I did last night. I would only want that with you when you are willing to receive me," Eirik said, putting emphasis on the word 'when'.

He held the fawn out to her, and all Althea could do was reach out and take it from him, in fear of what would happen if she didn't. He set it in her arms, and Althea smiled down at it. It seemed to not even be more than a week old, it was so small and frail. It had a brown coat, with little white spots on its bottom, and she couldn't help but fall in love with the creature right then and there.

"Tend to its needs," Eirik instructed. "I'll provide cow's milk for you," He said then stood up and walked over to the dinning table, pulling out a carving knife from his belt, then going to work in cutting up the deer.

Althea had to turn away from the sight, and then stared down at the creature sleeping in her arms. Focusing only on that, until she wasn't really seeing anything, her eyes glazing over as she blocked everything around her out, especially the pain in her hand.

* * *

Two months since she'd been kidnapped, and Loki visited Heimdall each day, even just to yell at him. Rationally, he realized yelling would do nothing to help the situation, but it did make him feel somewhat better. A way to channel the anger he felt, anger at the world, anger at Eirik, anger at everything.

He pushed the door of Althea's childhood home open, storming inside, looking left and right for Fenrir, before making his way to the dining hall where he usually was, nursing a jug of ale. Sif sat beside her father, staring at the fire, hardly noticing him come in.

"I should have realized earlier," Loki said, making his presence known as the two looked up at him. "I should have realized whom Eirik had help from, when the answer was right in front of me the entire time," He said, staring down at Fenrir.

"I beg your pardon?" Fenrir said, slamming his cup down onto the table and then standing up to face him

"Yes, you better beg," Loki said glaring at the man before him.

"And why should I do that?" Fenrir asked him defensively.

"Father!" Sif shouted. "Sit down!" He said to her, causing Fenrir to glare over at her.

"Be quite, daughter!" He yelled back, causing Sif to instantly quiet, and Loki inwardly smirked. Maybe now she realized what it was like to be on the receiving end of Fenrir's anger, like Althea so often was.

"I accuse you Fenrir Bradlson, of treason! And having a hand in the kidnapping of my wife, and your daughter!" Loki said, pointing a finger at him while stepping forward.

"Preposterous!" Fenrir said, "If anyone's at fault, it's you!" He said, pointing a finger back at Loki. "You're the one who caused Eirik to have a grudge against you!"

"Whatever do you mean?" Loki asked, narrowing his eyes, wondering just how Fenrir learned of Loki breaking Eirik's back. Unless Eirik himself had told him, and if that wasn't proof that the two were friends, he didn't know what was.

"You just had to involve yourself, didn't you?" Fenrir asked rhetorically, scoffing and shaking his head. "If you just let her marry the man, none of this would have happened!" He shouted.

"Me? It's you who's at fault here old man! It was you, who created the contract between him and Althea, making him believe he had a chance at having her love!" Loki blamed him, "Could you not see the maliciousness that lives within him, that he's no doubt taking out on Althea, at this very moment, as we speak?" Loki questioned him; taking another step forward, his magic flaring around him, ready to strike as his emotions and anger grew.

Loki almost let it loose; almost let himself attack Fenrir, to be rid of him forever. But then he realized how much it would hurt Althea, if Loki killed her father, no matter how much she disliked him at the moment. He shook his head, calming himself down before turning away from Fenrir. "You're not even worth my time," He said to him, before leaving, knowing he would get nothing from Fenrir.

As he walked further from the house, through the deserted streets, he let his anger free, shattering stone benches all around him, and knocking plants and lanterns down. "I will find her!" He shouted to the dark sky. "Do you hear me?!" He asked no one in particular, just anyone who could be listening. He promised them and himself, "I will find her!"

"Loki!" A feminine voice said from behind, causing him to stop shouting out of shock, turning, only to come face to face with Sif. Just for a moment, he'd thought he'd heard Althea's voice, but no, it was only her opposite, her sister, her twin.

Loki rolled his eyes, turning away from the lady Sif, in no mood for her company this night, but she just came after him. "Stop! Wait! I have something to say!" She told him, but Loki ignored her, at least he tried, until Sif grabbed his arm and turned him around so they faced each other. Loki glared at her some more, waiting for her to get on with whatever it was she had to say.

"I know we've had our differences in the past," Sif started. "But you must realize, I love her too," Sif said to him. "I know it hasn't seemed like it these past few years, and I am still not happy that it was you she married…but you make her happy, I can see it, and I wish I could have told her I would support her, before…before this happened," Sif said, tears in her eyes as she looked away, then collected herself, back into the stiff and cold warrior woman he knew. "Which is why I would like to offer my services to you in your search for Althea."

Loki studied Sif, and then realized she was being sincere with him, before he slowly nodded, for Althea's sake, then answered. "Very well," He said.

Sif smiled slightly, "Thank you," She told him, before she hardened again. "This doesn't mean I like you," She told him.

Loki smirked. "Trust me," He said narrowing his eyes, "The feeling is very much mutual," He told her.

"Trust you?" Sif questioned, shaking her head. "Not even if we were the last two people in the universe," She said scoffing, "Now where do we start?" She asked.

"It's time we start searching ourselves," Loki said. "We are going to Midgard."

* * *

_A/N:_

_I agree that I don't think Althea could kill Eirik, even after all he's done. I do think she wants him to be punished, but killed? No. And not by her hand either, I can't see her killing anyone unless she absolutely has to with no other choice. _

_Cold's gone! But I don't know if I will be able to update everyday, every few days for sure. But it's hard to write a chapter a day, and it gets exhausting! _


	18. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :) _

_Thank you all so much for the reviews! :) And the faves/follows! :) _

* * *

Crooked fingers. Once that would have bothered her, now she hardly noticed, unless looking at them, like she was right now. They hadn't healed right; she'd had nothing to hold them in place correctly. And besides that, it had taken much longer than a week for them to heal. It had taken well over another month, and now four months later, they had finally healed completely. It no longer hurt or caused discomfort for her to bend the fingers, or even to use them for everyday tasks.

That first illness was the first sign, when she got that cold. It told her something was wrong, and the state she was in now, pale, thin, unhealthy. The paleness could be from her lack of seeing the sun in so long, but Althea felt it wasn't just the absence of the sun that caused her paleness. Thin, and unnaturally so. She could see her own rib cage whenever she changed her clothing or bathed, and it was not for a lack of appetite. Only, now when she did try to eat she could hardly ever keep it down.

She felt worn down, tired, slow, and she ached everywhere. She was slightly thankful there was no mirror in this place, so she couldn't see just how much of a shell of who she used to be she was. And that way she couldn't see just how awful she looked, which she knew she did if how she felt was any indication. But at the same time, she wished there was a mirror. Just so she could truly see herself, to make it more real, tell her it wasn't just an illusion of her mind. And it was all because of the spell on the house. Keeping her away from her magic, from the very thing that kept her alive.

Althea looked away from her fingers resting on her knee, and let her eyes fall on her ankle with the metal cuff. She hardly noticed that either. Underneath she could see the skin was red and chapped, but she didn't feel it anymore. She hardly felt anything now. It was her own way of coping, if she didn't feel then she couldn't hurt or be in despair of her circumstances. Yet, she felt just enough, to keep her wanting to live. Mostly she thought of Loki, and sometimes Sif. As well as Etta…both Etta's. Her friend and handmaiden, who had died protecting her, and if Althea let herself die then her sacrifice would be for nothing.

The second, was the fawn, whom she'd named after her friend. It was fitting she supposed as Etta did mean 'little one' and the fawn was very small. But it kept growing and it was walking on it's own. Eirik let it out of the cabin every few days so it could explore the world and it came back each time to lay on it's bed. She'd first had it right next to her own, but then Eirik had moved it close to the doorway, his reasoning being it got in his way everywhere else, and that way it could leave if it wanted. Althea knew better than to argue with him.

Said man walked inside, a pale of water in his hand. He looked her over as he stepped through the doorway, then set the water down by the door. "Why are you just sitting there?" He asked, gesturing to where she sat at the dining table, "You're supposed to be making me food," He told her, but Althea didn't answer him.

"Get up!" He screamed at her, but again Althea did not respond to him, she couldn't. She didn't even flinch when he yelled anymore. Eirik took angry steps towards her, grabbing her shoulders and started shaking her roughly, jostling her body and making it ache but she made no sound. "I said get up!"

"I can't," Althea finally replied, her voice hoarse and cracking from lack of use as well as just above a whisper.

Eirik scoffed. "And why not?" He asked her.

"I'm dying," Althea told him, and not for the first time either.

Eirik rolled his eyes, letting go of her. "Not this again," He sighed, looking her over. "You look perfectly healthy."

Althea realized Eirik was slightly insane, as he never seemed to notice her changing appearance. It was like in his mind she looked just as she had the day they'd first met. And no matter how many times she tried to explain, "The house is spelled against magic," Althea said, like she was speaking to a child. "Essentially, the house is spelled against me," She told him, "My life-force comes from my magic, and as it's blocked; you are starving me of my very essence!" She said, her voice rising at the end, she just wanted him to see. "Take me outside, I won't try to run, I promise," Althea said to him pleasingly.

Eirik shook his head, smiling at her evilly. "Stop. Lying!" He screamed, pushing the chair as he yelled, sending her sprawling onto the floor.

Althea tried pushing herself up, slowly pulling her hands to her body, pushing herself up but she only made at an inch before she had to stop. She had next to no muscle in her arms, nothing to give her strength to stand up. And besides, what would be the point? In the state Eirik was now, he'd only just push her down again.

"I'll just have to make myself a meal then, seeing as you'll be no help this day," Eirik said, looking down at her, before lifting his eyes and smirking at something.

Althea followed his gaze, seeing it resting right on Etta, her little fawn who was laying down on her bed with alert ears, startled by the noise of Althea falling. She watched as Eirik started walking over to it, and realized just what he intended. "Eirik!" She yelled, but he didn't answer, using all her strength she pushed herself up, grabbing onto the toppled chair for support as she stood up, her legs shaking from the effort.

She held onto the wall as she shuffled over, moving as fast as she could, watching as Eirik picked up Etta and held it in his arms, ignoring her. He walked over to the other end of the house, where she could not reach because of the chain around her ankle. Which she knew was the entire point.

"I knew you were faking," Eirik says as he looks up, watching her slowly walk over.

"Eirik, please! Think about what you're doing!" She begged him.

"I am thinking!" Eirik yelled back at her.

"I'll be better now, I promise," Althea told him, feeling the chain tug on her ankle signaling that she could go no further.

"It's too late now, I have to punish you, I told you what happens when you disobey me!" He yelled at her.

Althea reached down, and grabbed the chain, pulling on it, but there was no use. Standing up again she turned her body so her free leg could step forwards, and started using her other to pull on the chain, but still it did not move.

"Please, please, please," She kept repeating. "I'm begging you!" She told him, tears falling down her cheeks that he failed to notice completely.

"No, no, you've had so many chances already," Eirik replied. "I've tried being so nice to you, I even got you this companion, I would so hate to take it away…" He trailed off, pulling the knife from his belt.

"No!" Althea screamed at him, just as he plunged the knife into Etta's heart, again.

Althea fell down to her knees in anguish, watching Eirik pull the knife out then look at her faithful friend. Why hadn't it just run away? Things would have been better that way, it would still be alive. Eirik shook his head. "Never mind, there's no meat on this," And with that he let Etta fall to the floor, dead. "What a waste," Eirik finished, stepping away from it, and as he walked passed her he touched her head. "Maybe you'll know better now…"

But then Althea ignored him, she didn't see or hear where he went, and dind't care. Nothing mattered around her now, and she saw only the poor creature dead in front of her, just out of her reach. And the red blood pooling underneath it, some trailing close to her, staining her dress. Just like it's namesake.

Althea pushed everything out of her mind then, just pictured Loki's face through her tears. "I'm sorry, I tried," She whispered to herself and to him, not that he could hear, until she pushed him out of her mind as well. All the pain was gone, all emotion, until she was nothing but an empty void, an empty shell.

* * *

He hadn't seen her in seven months now, and he wondered if she was all right. If she was safe. Loki's words kept echoing in his mind. Yes, he had seen the maliciousness on Eirik's face, had even called him out on it himself. But Fenrir was so blinded by his pride and hurt, over what his daughter had done. So much that he didn't care if Eirik had a dangerous personality. He saw no other option for a way out of Althea's marriage. But in the end, how was her being away from him the better option?

But as he walked into the bifrost, he knew he was ready to go and see her, to apologize and ask if she'd like to come home. Who knows though, maybe she'd want to stay with Eirik, maybe they were in love. And if they were he would let her stay and be happy. All he wanted was for her to be happy now, and if that meant she wanted to return to the prince, then Fenrir would be alright with that. Because he missed her.

"Heimdall, send me to Midgard!" Fenrir ordered the gatekeeper.

"Of course, may I ask why?" Heimdall asked him.

Fenrir was prepared for the gatekeepers question, and did not doubt he was suspicious of him. But Karnilla had spelled it so all things having to do with Althea and Eirik were concealed from Heimdall. Eirik and Althea themselves were spelled against his gaze.

"I intend to seek Althea there myself, I know Loki and Sif have searched there themselves," Fenrir replied.

Heimdall nodded, walking up to his podium, "Any particular place?" He asked.

"Somewhere close to the human settlements," Fenrir replied, standing in front of the bifrost.

Behind him, Heimdall regarded him with a suspicious gaze, and intended to watch Fenrir the entire time he was on Midgard. Hopefully he would lead him to Althea, slamming his sword down, the bifrost activated and Fenrir was sent to Midgard.

* * *

After a week of searching, he finally found the place he was searching for. The cabin Karnilla had shown him and Eirik when they'd planned the kidnapping, showing them where Althea and Eirik would be living.

It was made of thick logs, around the same shape, he noticed there were no windows in the walls, and only a door. It did not look as pleasant as it had in the image Karnilla had used to show them with her magic. In fact it looked like it was not being taken care of at all. Weeds and plants grew on the sides of the house, a deep green colour, mostly ivy he noticed.

Slowly, he walked to the door and knocked. After waiting a few moments, he received no answer so he knocked again, and still nothing. He took the door handle, and shook it, the door swung open, unlocked.

"Hello?" He called out, and got no answer, so slowly he walked inside.

It was completely dark inside, the only light now coming from the open doorway. It shone on an unlit candle, which he promptly walked over to and lit it so he could see better. The light from the doorway only went so far.

Looking around he saw the house was not very clean, and slightly dusty. But there, on the bed was a figure wrapped in blankets. Walking over slowly, he pulled the blankets back and brought the candle closer, getting a shock as he saw it was Althea laying there. She was almost unrecognizable, pale, thin, limp, and her hair that once used to shine like strands of gold looked dull and unkept.

Fenrir sat on the bed, staring down at her with wide eyes. He pulled the blanket further down and she didn't even stir. Not even when he touched her shoulder, finding it to be like ice. There was no warmth in her and Fenrir feared she was dead. "Althea?" He questioned, and got no response from his daughter. "Althea, dear?" He called again, this time louder and still, nothing.

Fenrir choked on a sob, he would not cry, he never cried, so he pulled his daughter into his arms and held her, pulling the blanket back around her shoulders. "This isn't what I wanted," He told her. "I'm so sorry, so very, very sorry," He apologized, over and over, for he really thought her dead. And then he did cry, without meaning to or realizing it, tears began to leak out of his eyes as he squeezed his daughter's limp form to his body.

A moan filled his ears, and Fenrir smiled, she was alive! Pulling back so he could look upon her face, waiting for some other response. "Althea?" He called, "Daughter?"

Her eyes opened, and Fenrir was shocked to see how lifeless they seemed, like no one was there. But to his surprise Althea started laughing, not a joyful or loud laugh, but one filled with sorrow and sadness, and quite, like she had no energy to even laugh at all. "Figures, yours would be the last face I see before I go to the other world, as you are the one at fault for sending me," She said to him with bitterness lacing every word, an emotion he'd never heard from her.

And Fenrir realized she would be a changed woman after this, and she would survive, he would make sure of it. "No!" He denied, shaking his head, "I thought Eirik would take care of you! I never imagined he'd let you be reduced to this…" He trailed off looking at her ailing body. "This.. state," He finished.

Althea smiled, "Not Eirik alone," She told him. "You've gotten your wish father, I no longer use magic," She explained, "Though not by my choice…This is what happens when you lose a part of yourself, this is what happens when it's just out of reach but you can never quite touch it…This," She said glancing down at her own body, before looking him in the eye again. "This…is…what…you..wa...wanted," She told him before her eyes closed and she was quiet.

"Althea?" Fenrir asked, shaking her a little, but her eyes stayed closed. He slowly, and as gently as he could, took Althea into his arms and quickly walked out of the house, the second her body was out, she drew in a deep breath, and golden light – her magic – surrounded her, but still she did not stir.

"Heimdall!" Fenrir called out to the god. He didn't care that there would be consequences; he just needed for Althea to be alright, to be safe, "Heimdall!" He called again, but got no response, no bifrost to take them back to Asgard.

"And what do you think you're doing, Fenrir?" Eirik's voice called out to him, and Fenrir turned, seeing the man coming out of the trees, his gaze set on Althea.

Fenrir took a moment to study the man, his hair was long and greasy, flying all over his face. His beard was long and unruly, obviously unkept. Even his clothing looks dirty. He looked despicable. "Taking her away from you!" He replied angrily, realizing Eirik was the reason Heimdall did not come, because he couldn't see them. The spell Karnilla put around Eirik now surrounded Fenrir and Althea too, so Heimdall would have no way of knowing they were in need of assistance.

"I should have known you'd be coming, you are, after all, her father," Eirik said to him. "Not a very good one as of late," He taunted, tisking. "But, you're here now, I suppose that counts for something?"

"What have you done to her?!" Fenrir asked angrily, looking at the state Althea was in.

"Nothing!' Eirik yelled, his eyes blazing with fury, "She did it to herself!"

* * *

The moment Heimdall lost sight of Fenrir, he knew something was wrong. He'd watched the man walk up to a cabin, and then disappear; the cabin was still there, yes. But Heimdall could see no one else, or see the inside. So with that thought in mind, he summoned the bifrost, right where Loki was walking through Midgard with Sif behind him, picking them up and bringing them before him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Loki asked turning to him, anger shining in his eyes.

"I've found her," Heimdall told him calmly, shocking Loki into silence.

"Where?" Sif asked him, a smile on her face.

"You're father is with her, but I've lost sight of him," Heimdall explained quickly.

"Send us there!" Loki ordered him, and Heimdall did not argue, slamming his sword back down and sending the two of them to Midgard.

After the light had died down, he turned to the guard, or his messenger, that stood by the doorway. "Alert the guards, they may need assistance!" Heimdall told him, and watched him quickly start running to the palace.

_'I have found her._.' He sent out to Hel, his half sister.

It seemed she'd developed a liking to Althea after their brief visits, and he was in no place to question her as she had asked him to alert her if he had news.

_'Excellent…'_ Came the reply, before Hel's presence disappeared.

* * *

_A/N: _

_Thanks for the reviews guys! _

_It is draining to try and get a chapter out a day. I tend to write so much in the beginning of a story because I am so in love with it! But overtime writing it feels a little bit like a chore and not as enjoyable as it should be. But I am still very much happy to write this and very excited for all the things I have planned! I just want to take it a little slower now so I continue to feel that way! I'm trying to work out a schedule for this story but I also don't want to jinx myself, however you should expect 2-3 chapters a week (Knock on wood) _

_Don't worry everyone, I hate Eirik and am so sick of him, can he just die already?_

_Really sorry about Eirik killing the fawn though... but I felt like he needed to do something else to really push Althea over the edge. _


	19. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea. _

* * *

As the glow of the bifrost cleared, Loki found himself in an open meadow Sif standing just behind him. Ahead of them stood a cabin, but his attention was drawn to Eirik and Fenrir who were fighting each other with their swords. As he scanned the meadow, he saw blue fabric laying on the grass and instantly he knew it was her. He cared not about the battle between Fenrir and Eirik at the moment, all that mattered was her.

Quickly, he took off running towards her, sinking to his knees right beside her as his eyes widened in shock at the state she was in. Her cheeks were hollow and sunken in, skin pale, and when he touched her it was cold. He kissed her forehead; his hands resting on the sides of her face before he moved his head back, fingering her hair. It was so thin and lacked the golden shine he was so familiar with, that he so loved about her.

And it was all Eirik's fault, Loki knew. That bastard was the cause of Althea's unhealthy state. But Loki did not love her any less than before even with the way she now looked, if anything he loved her more. It meant she was still here, still alive (a fact he knew by the rise and fall of her chest) even after everything she'd endured away from him, she was still fighting to live.

"Althea, my love?" He questioned, picking her up in his arms, but she gave him no response and was completely limp, and cold, so very cold.

He tried using his magic to speak to her mind with his, but it was like an empty void within and he found no one to speak to. "Please, I've finally found you," he told her. "You must awaken," He said, and still no response.

"Ahh!" An anguished scream came from behind him, and Loki turned to see Eirik standing over Fenrir, his sword in his stomach, smirking down at the older man. Loki set Althea back down on the grass again as gently as he could, hearing Fenrir groan as Eirik pulled the sword from his body.

Loki stood up, and glanced at Sif, seeing her in some form of shock, but not for long as she started running forwards, but Loki put an arm out to stop her advancements. "He's mine," Loki spat, glaring at Eirik bitterly. "Stay with Althea," He told her, and Sif nodded, although with some reluctance before going over to her sister.

Eirik started walking towards Loki, doing a mock bow. "My prince, we meet again at last," He said smirking.

How dare he mock him?! How dare he continue to breathe after everything he had done to Althea! Loki smirked. He planned on rectifying this. He summoned his magic, not enough to kill, just to stun Eirik, he wanted to have the pleasure of killing him up close and personal. He sent his magic straight at Eirik in a blink of an eye, and started smiling knowing this would be the beginning of the end. But his smile dropped as his magic was deflected.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that, son of Odin," A feminine voice said coming from his left, stealing Loki's attention. A woman stood there, with black hair and purple eyes, smirking at him. He could sense the magic within her, and new she was the one responsible for concealing Eirik and Althea from Heimdall.

"And who are you?" Loki asked glaring at her, he would deal with her after Eirik. After all, she was just as much to blame.

"I am Karnilla," She introduced herself, before sending purple energy straight at him. Loki attempted to defend with his own magic, but found he could not summon it and the energy hit him full force, sending him flying from the meadow.

"Ah!-" Sif's distant battle cry reached his ears, before she fell silent.

Loki was very angry now. Very angry and very annoyed. Karnilla had interfered for the last time, if he had anything to say about it. Standing up, he felt his full armour appear on his body, helmet and all. Grabbing his spear from where it lay on the ground, Loki stood up and began rushing off towards his new adversary.

* * *

She looks so beautiful, so peaceful, Eirik thought to himself as he carried Althea away from the house they'd shared. Her sister now lay unconscious or dead at Karnilla's hand, Eirik cared not, and he was sure Fenrir was dead now too. Karnilla would take care of Loki…maybe, but he somehow doubted Karnilla would be the winner. Fighting Althea was one thing, but Loki was a master sorcerer.

Althea looked just the same as he'd seen her the first time they met: same beautiful golden hair, same wonderful body. He only wished she would have allowed him to touch her in such intimate ways that he fantasized about so often. But she was stubborn, and would not give in to him. Eirk believed it was because she was married, and knew adultery was wrong. Althea did care for him, he knew it, she had to. He was the one to have taken care of her all these months. Not Loki, not that prince, him, he did.

But her father had ruined everything! Why did he have to come here to visit? Fenrir should have known Althea was perfectly fine, except for her stupid moping around and endless need for sleep. Eirik didn't want to kill Fenrir, but the man asked for it. And Eirik knew guards wouldn't be far behind now… and there was no way he could defeat all of them. Even gaining the upper hand on Fenrir had been a fluke. Eirik had just said that Althea died, and the man had turned to look, distracting him and giving Eirik the perfect opportunity he needed.

Althea would be upset, he realized. Just like when he'd killed the fawn she'd grown to care for. But she'd get over it. And besides, she and her father would be reunited soon. Exiting the trees, he came upon the beautiful lake before him, the sun casting a golden glow on the surface. A perfect setting for what was about to happen, Althea deserved to be surrounded by the golden sun, so like herself.

Smiling gently at Althea, Eirik whispered to her. "It won't even hurt," He said, though he couldn't say for sure. But she was sleeping, and would hopefully stay sleeping, not even realizing what was happening. He had been planning this for a few days now, after the thought struck him. If Althea wasn't allowing herself to be with him because she was married, then he'd have to make her not married. And the only way he could do that would be for her to die. So Eirik decided he would kill her, and then kill himself where they would be reunited with their ancestors in Valhalla.

Though Eirik couldn't bear to see her body covered in blood, and so instead he started walking into the water, ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep, chest deep. Althea's head sunk under the water and Eirik smiled. Yes, it wouldn't be long now.

* * *

Sif was either dead or unconscious, Loki found himself not caring either way. She was useless to him in a fight againt Karnilla, a magic user like himself. She was wasting his time, the only comfort being Loki knew Eirik loved Althea, in a sick deranged mad person sort of way. He would never kill or hurt her intentionally.

Using his magic again, it flared around him in a mix of green and purple, before it stopped, nothing. Loki felt his breathing becoming ragged, his anger rising at the woman laughing to herself in front of him. He was tired of people standing in his way! What gave them any right to decide what he did and did not do? With that thought in mind, Loki's anger rose, his eyes turning red, not that he could see, but Karnilla did. Just before he used enough magic, breaking the spell Karnilla had put on him trapping his magic like it was not even there, before sending it at Karnilla herself. The woman quickly dodged the energy, before she started laughing as she stood up, confusing Loki.

"Well, this is interesting," Karnilla said to him smirking. "Odin, Odin, Odin, you always were meddling in things..." She said to herself, before she turned to Loki, and smiled. "I will interfere no more with your plans…Odinson," She said, laughing at the last part, causing Loki to furrow his brow in confusion, but he could ask her no questions as she disappeared, like she was never even there to begin with.

Loki wasted no time contemplating, and instead took off in the direction he'd seen Eirik go in with Althea. He pushed himself to go faster, knowing he had to catch up to them before Loki lost them forever, which he would not. He finally had Althea in his grasp, there was no way he was ever letting go again.

He broke through the trees, finding himself standing before a lake. The sun glared in his eyes, reflecting off the water, but he could see Eirik standing there, alone? But he was looking down at the water, and then Loki realized. "No!" He shouted in anguish, knowing just what Eirik was doing to her, _drowning_ her, _killing_ her.

Loki ran into the water, swimming out to them. He wondered how long Eirik had held her under for. He'd been counting on him not harming her but Loki found himself being wrong about Eirik, _again_. He vowed never to be wrong about anyone ever again, though knew it would be impossible. He could not control what others thought or did, no matter how much he wished it so.

He sent his magic through the water, straight at Eirik, shocking him, and the smile off his face, and causing him to let go of Althea. Loki rushed over, sending another blast of magic at Eirik, making him to go flying backwards into the water. Loki ignored him, pulling Althea from the water, and quickly, as fast as he could, kept her above it as he swam, then ran onto the shore, before setting her down. He put his head on her chest, and ice shot through him when he found no heartbeat. Immediately he started pumping on her chest, and then pushed air into her lungs. _Nothing_. He did it again. _Nothing._ Again. _Nothing._ Loki could feel the anguish and despair overtaking him, but he held it off, this was not the end.

"No!" He screamed out in fury. "You are not dead!" He yelled at Althea, the first time he'd _ever,_ raised his voice at her. "You will not leave me!" He told her, before his voice softened. "You will not leave me," He whispered, setting his head on her chest, tears spilling over onto her already wet dress.

"Please," He begged her, and whoever was listening. "I love you," He told her, lifting his head so he could stare at her pale face and now blue lips.

No response. "Please, please, please!" He begged again closing his eyes as he kissed her cold lips, over and over and over. He started compressions again, needing her to live, and if a little of his magic seeped out of his hands, into her, shocking her, then he did not care, she just had to live.

A memory awoke in his mind, then more than one.

_A beautiful, and younger version of Althea slept on the grass beside Sif, the first time Loki ever saw her. His vision seemed to center on her, and only her._

One, two, three, then breathe air into her lungs.

_Althea in the garden, saying his name, and not his title._

One, two, three, then breathe air into her lungs.

_Them shaking hands._

One, two, three, then breathe air into her lungs.

_Them playing a joke on Thor._

One, two, three, then breathe air into her lungs.

_Them running from Thor._

One, two, three, then breathe air into her lungs.

_Memory after memory overtook him as he tried, and tried to push the life back into her, memories of their friendship._

One, two, three, then breathe air into her lungs.

_When he'd first realized he loved her, looking at her face in the library as she smiled at him and he had smiled back._

One, two, three, then breathe air into her lungs.

_Memories of him kissing her, them getting married, their first night together, their life together._

And then now, again, him looking down at her cold and wet body and blue lips. All those memories coming and going through his mind in no more than two seconds. Just when he was about to lose hope, Althea coughed, water coming out of her mouth and Loki turned her on her side so she could get rid of it, and once it was all gone, she was silent and did not move, but she breathed. Loki smiled in relief, kissing her head as he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her

"You're alright," He told her, not caring if she could hear him or not. "You're safe now," He said.

"No!" Eirik's voice sounded right behind him, and Loki had almost forgotten about him, _almost_.

Loki let Althea fall back onto the ground, and just as Eirik came up behind him. Loki unsheathed his dagger and shoved it into Eirik's heart. "You will never have her," He said, pushing Eirik down onto the ground, watching as Eirik's eyes looked into his in shock.

But Loki was not satisfied with just this, and sent his magic spreading throughout Eirik's body shocking him everywhere, painfully, excruciatingly. Electrocuting him from the inside out. And still Loki was not done, twisting the dagger in Eiriks heart again, before pulling it out, stabbing, out, stabbing, out, stabbing, over and over he did this, even as Eirik had finally died. Until Loki finally stopped himself and let go of the dagger to stare down at Eirik's bloody corpse.

A smile overtook his face, he felt nothing but satisfaction, happiness even, of the sight before him. He laughed, even he admitted a little maniacal, but these passed few months were so very hard, he deserved not to be judged, even by himself, just this once. So standing up, Loki walked over to the lake, and rinsed the blood from his hands, face and armour, and once satisfied it was all gone, he walked back over to Althea, pulling her into his arms again. "I love you," He whispered to her, again and again, rocking her back and forth, before changing what he said. "I killed him, I killed him, I killed him for you, my love, he shall never harm you again, no one shall harm you," He told her, smiling down at her lovingly.

* * *

A/N:

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! YOU ARE ALL AMAZING! :) Glad you all seem to be enjoying the story! Makes me so happy!

BUT Eirik is finally dead! Thank goodness, I couldn't wait any longer to be rid of him.. that's not to say this won't have any lasting effects..


	20. Chapter 20

_Disclaimer: I do not own Thor/Avengers. I do not claim to. I only own my OC Althea! :)_

_THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! :) And all the favourites and follows! I am eternally grateful to all of you! :) _

* * *

Loki watched the rise and fall of Althea's chest, completely normal even breaths. And yet she did not awaken from her sleep, even a month since he'd returned her to Asgard. The healers could not give him a straight answer, when he asked why she did not wake up. All they said was she seemed to be healing herself, recuperating her body. And Loki knew it was true, as he watched the colour return to her skin, now healthy looking instead of that sickly pale. And the weight returned as well, her cheeks no longer being sunken in. Even her hair returned to its normal shine.

Apparently she'd broken her fingers, which had not settled properly and the only way for them to be set straight again was for them to be re-broken. Loki had held her other hand refusing to leave her side, flinching at every snap he heard. But Althea never uttered a sound. Maybe he'd been expecting some sort of response from her as she felt the pain, maybe that was why he felt so disappointed when she didn't.

He tried every day, to connect with her, to enter her mind, but every time all that he found was emptiness, an endless void of nothing. He'd thought after killing Eirik, after he'd returned her to Asgard and brought her to the healing halls that everything would be alright again. It seemed he was very wrong. And that hurt him.

"Loki?" A voice called out, and he turned, seeing a very somber looking Sif standing in the entry way to Althea rooms. He nodded in greeting, and she walked inside, looking down at Althea, "No change?" She asked conversationally.

"No," Loki replied, looking back down at Althea and their joined hands.

"I hoped…especially for today," Sif trailed off, shaking her head, "Maybe you'll come?" She asked him, "I know she would want to be there, but as she…can't, you're the closest to her…" She trailed off again.

Loki shook his head, "I have no place there…" He told her.

Sif nodded, "Very well, I will come see her…after it's over. The healers say speaking with-"

"-I know what they say!" Loki said to her annoyed, he'd heard the same thing over and over, that if people kept speaking with her, then maybe she would awaken, but still, there was nothing. And yet, when they were alone, Loki did talk to her.

Sif glared at him, obviously not appreciating his tone, then shook her head, "Farewell," She told him, giving Althea another look, her gaze softening, before she left the room.

* * *

Standing at the front, beside Thor, Sif wondered how it could have come to this, and she wondered why she didn't blame anyone. But then she also realized blaming others would accomplish nothing. And besides, hadn't there been enough hurt and devastation already? Thor's large hand took hers, squeezing it gently and she schooled her face so she didn't blush. It helped that she also knew this was not the place for it. At her fathers funeral, where the mood was only sad.

The boat her father lay, was a beautiful creation for a warrior such as him. And he was dressed in his finest armour, his sword resting atop him, with his hands grasping the hilt. Traditionally, the funeral would have been held the second his body was returned. But Sif had wanted to wait, for Althea to awaken and be there for it. They could only keep her father for so long though, and a month was pushing it. It was also unfair to him, Sif knew, by denying him the right of a funeral his soul could not travel to Valhalla, where she hoped he would reunite with her mother and brother.

As the boat was set adrift, Sif let the tears fall down her face. She knew she didn't need to put up the warriors front here. No one would judge her for crying at her own fathers funeral. If anyone was to blame, it was Fenrir himself for even starting the whole mess with Eirik, causing Althea to go and get married to Loki. And yet, she couldn't really blame her father at all. It was just a collection of bad decisions and terrible fate and luck that led to his death. Sif had made peace with his death after a time of contemplation, one she knew would not be soo easily accomplished for Althea when she woke.

While Sif did have her share of problems with her father, the two of the shared an understanding achieved by them both being interested in many of the same things. Althea and he never really saw eye to eye, and he always said Althea was most like their mother. Her sister never had a parent whom she could connect with on a deeper level like Sif did. And she felt sorry for her sister because of that, and wished there could have been something she could do to change it. But it was too late now. Both their parents were gone from the world, and one day they to would join them. However, that would hopefully be for a while yet.

An archer behind her lit his arrow, before letting it fly free until striking the boat, setting it on fire. Movement on her left caused Sif to look over, and watched as Loki came to stand beside her, nodding. She nodded back; happy he had decided to come after all. It would make Althea happy to know that both Sif and Loki had been there in her place. Turning her attention back to boat, she watched as the orange flames consumed it, and her father.

* * *

A field made of golden grass was all she saw. It was a never ending stretch of gold, the occasional breeze and the never-ending warm sun. It was always day, but she wasn't really aware of time. All she knew was that she was safe here, and safe was good. For some reason she wasn't safe outside of this field. But she could not for the life of her remember why. And so all she did was lay in the grass and stare up at the sky.

She may have expected it to be blue with white clouds. But she was staring out into space the entire time, watching the stars, watching the realms, watching the galaxies, watching, everything. It was like wherever she was, she could see everything, the perfect vantage point. She often wondered if she was in Valhalla and had died. That thought saddened her, the thought of never returning to…something. She didn't know why staying here was such a bad thing. And so that is why she continued to lay there, in peace and warmth, watching the stars.

Yet now, it was different. She didn't feel like she had to stay there anymore, like she was safe again and healed. She was sick before she came her wasn't she? But why? Sometimes she could hear people speaking with her, but each time they started she blocked them out of her mind and ignored them.

_"You must leave here,"_ A voice to her left said.

Calmly, she turned, staring at the man beside her. He looked much older than her, with graying hair down to his shoulders and kind blue eyes, eyes like hers… She felt a sense of familiarity about him, though no idea how she knew him.

_"Why?"_ She asked him softly.

_"You don't belong here anymore, you're safe and healed now,"_ He explained to her.

_"I'm afraid,"_ She admitted to him.

He smiled at her, and his eyes shined with unshed tears, _"I know you are, Althea, but you don't need to be,"_ He told her.

_"Althea?"_ She questioned him, _"Is that who I am?"_ She asked tilting her head.

The man nodded in reply.

_"And who are you?"_ She asked, looking him over, _"You seem…familiar."_

_"I should hope I do, I am your father after all,"_ He explained, laughing a little, before growing sad, "_I am sorry, for everything I did to you, I will always regret it,"_ He told her.

All she could do was nod, just because he said he was her 'father' it did not mean anything to her, "_How do I leave?"_ She asked.

_"You just wake up,"_ He explained, fading away, becoming translucent.

_"How?"_

_"Wake up,"_ He said and then he was gone.

She turned to look back up, then closed her eyes, wake up, she told herself, wake up.

* * *

_Wake up._

Althea opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling in front of her. No stars, no space, no black, no bright colours. Just the normal dull golden ceiling, well dull now after spending so long…how long? In a field of golden grass. Slowly, she pulled herself up, then set her feet on the floor. Looking around, she realized she was in one of the private rooms for the long-term patients…how long exactly had she been in that field? Intending to find out, she stood up, then put a hand on the bed to keep her from falling over as she felt slightly dizzy.

After waiting a moment, she realized she was stable she started walking towards the door, pulling it open. Outside her room, healers tended to patients on the meds, running back and forth. Just how she remembered it being the last time she had seen it. Walking further inside, one of the healers, an apprentice, looked up and saw her, looked away, then looked back, stopping to stare at her in shock. Then another, who wasn't watching where she was going walked into her, and she pointed to Althea. Then they both started staring at her in shock.

"What are you two standing around for!" Aesa's familiar stern voice called, "Get back to work!"

"But…Miss!" One called looking behind a curtain, where Althea assumed Aesa was standing.

"What?" She heard Aesa reply, then saw her come out behind the curtain. The girl pointed at Althea, and Aesa followed her gaze, eyes widening in shock.

"Althea!" She said, walking over to her, taking Althea's hands in hers and squeezing them, "My dear, you're awake!" She said, smiling at her. And that shocked her, Aesa rarely, if ever, smiled.

Althea only nodded, she wasn't sure what to say and also realized she was in a state of shock. She decided to hold on to the numbness for as long as she could. For some reason she did not think she was ready for the onslaught of emotions that would overtake her the second she allowed them in. She did not want to be alone either, and though she knew Aesa would be there, that wasn't whom she wanted.

Aesa rested her hand on Althea's back and turned her back into the direction of the room she'd just come from, "Come, you should sit down and I will look you over," She said, and again, all Althea did was nod, then look towards the room again.

"Get her some clothing!" Aesa called back to the women behind them, and Althea turned her head just in time to see them both nod their heads rapidly then take off, "And new linens!" She called after them, then turned her attention back to Althea, smiling at her, "You had us all very worried," She said as they entered the room, Aesa closing the door behind them.

Althea took it upon herself to sit on the bed again, but did not lie back, "How long was I…asleep for?" She asked Aesa in a soft and very timid voice, one that surprised even herself.

Aesa cleared her throat, "Just a month dear," She explained, sitting on the bed beside her, then putting a hand on Althea's shoulder.

Althea nodded in reply, not feeling much like talking. A month, she wasn't sure if it had felt like she'd been in that field for longer or shorter than that. Staring down at her hands, she noticed her fingers weren't crooked anymore, and voiced this observation to Aesa.

"Yes, we…fixed those for you," Aesa replied, setting her hands on Althea's and squeezing them.

"You had to rebreak them," Althea concluded, nodding, feeling nothing, no emotion as she said the words.

Aesa nodded, although looking reluctantly, "Sadly yes, but you didn't eve flinch, and that's all over now!" She said cheerfully, "You're back home again."

Althea nodded, just as the door opened and one of the girls entered, carrying a dress in her hands, which she realized distantly was one of her own, a blue one that Sif had gifted her with.

"Here you are," The girl said brightly, holding the dress out for Althea, who took it from her, then stood up.

Without even asking them to leave, she turned her back and stripped herself of the medical dress tossing it onto the bed and then slipped on the more familiar one. Turning back around she saw Aesa and the girl looking very shocked and surprised at what she'd just done, but Althea ignored it and sat back on the bed.

Aesa cleared her throat, again, then spoke, "If you could lie back I will activate the soul forge, just to make sure everything is fine," She said, like speaking to a patient and not a fellow healer, but Althea realized she was a patient now, and so with nor argument did as Aesa instructed, staring back at the ceiling and blocking everything out, again.

* * *

Loki walked into the healing halls after the funeral, ready to go and hold Althea's hand again. He did not regret his decision to go, after realizing Sif was right and Althea would have anted him there if she herself couldn't have gone. It was a very sad affair, and he even watched Odin look sad, for just a moment. He and Fenrir had been friends, so of course he would be sad but for him to show it in public, was very unlike him. But it told Loki that Odin really did care for Fenrir.

As he got closer to Althea's room, he watched a woman walk in carrying linens in her arms, and as she disappeared, Loki could see inside the room. Althea was there, laying down, her eyes were open, staring up at the ceiling as the red glow of the soul forge surrounded her. It casted an image of her body above her real one, but Loki cared for none of that. His focus was entirely on her and only her. She was there; she was awake, finally, after so many days of him sitting by her side! He smiled joyfully and quickened his steps, almost running into the room and to her side, through the soul forge, setting his hands onto her shoulders as he stared into her eyes, blocking the ceiling from her view. His smile dropped however, when he realized her eyes stared at him blankly, unseeing.

"Althea?" He questioned tenderly, moving his hands to her cheeks, "My love?" He questioned again, and still no response.

No! This was not alright! She was awake now, she was supposed to smile at him, and hug him and he would kiss her and everything would go back to the way it was! But she didn't move, so angrily, he turned to look at the women assembled behind him, "Leave us!" He ordered them, more than a little forceful. The youngest of the bunch jumped, and quickly scampered out with the other two following behind, after a nod.

Aesa, the head healer, gave him a knowing look and closed the door on her way out, casting the room in silence. Turning off the soul forge, Loki looked abck into Althea's blue eyes and called out to her, this time with his mind, "Althea?" He questioned her.

It seemed that was the push she needed, as just as he thankfully, finally, felt that warmth that was her, instead of that empty void, she blinked her eyes and focused on him.

"Loki?" She questioned, blinking again, her voice sounding like music to his ears.

He smiled, maybe even laughed, he could not care what he did. All that mattered was she was talking to him, "I'm here!" He told her happily, sitting on the edge of the bed, and pulling her up so she was in his arms, squeezing her tightly, afraid to ever let go again, "I'm here," He whispered into her ear. Slowly, he felt her arms snake around his waist, to rest on his back, squeezing back just as forcefully.

He smiled into her hair, then kissed her head, over and over, until he felt her arms loosen and he slowly, reluctantly let them separate so she could look at him. Timidly, almost shyly, she reached up her arms to hold his face in her hands this time, almost like she was studying him. And Loki let her, of course he would let her, just the feel of her hands on him gave him such joy that he could not form words to explain.

"You're really hear?" She questioned him, in a soft and quiet voice.

Loki nodded furiously, "I'm here, I'm right here," He told her.

She nodded too, and suddenly, her eyes started overflowing with tears, and she threw herself into his arms again, sobbing into his chest. And Loki didn't mind at all, instead shifting his body so he could lie down on the bed, pulling Althea along with him, holding her tightly to his chest. And if a few tears fell, only he would know, and so he let them. Not tears of sadness or pain, but tears of joy. For he had finally found her, finally she was back in his arms again.

* * *

A/N: Sorry sorry sorry! This wasn't meant to take so long! I just had no time to write at all! Christmas shopping and just general life has taken up all my free time, but after christmas and into the new year things should go back to normal and then I can update more often!

Anyways, glad you guys liked that last chapter and no it is not the end! If it was I would have done an epilogue right after and put an authors note and I also plan on going into Thor, Avengers, Thor 2 eventually. I don't think I am going to write every. single. scene. in the movies though, as this story is focused mainly on Althea and Loki and their life together!

Back to the previous chapter, I think it did unleash some of Loki's bad side when he killed Eirik (hence the stabbing and electrocuting). Though I also thought Loki wouldn't have been satisfied with just killing him quickly, he wanted Eirik to suffer the way he and Althea did while apart. I think a lot of things must have happened to make him the way he is and this is just me contributing to the pile...

Another thing I am going to say is about Althea and Loki having children. That will for sure come up again and play a role in things so don't worry I am not forgetting about it. If Loki and Althea ever have a child together some time? Well. I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out! ;)

And I hope everyone has a great Christmas to those who celebrate it! And those who don't then I hope you all have a great day! If I post another chapter before Christmas then I will say it again but in case I don't then ^^


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